


That's the End of the Rice

by AuntyA



Category: Bleach
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2018-06-06 20:04:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6768151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuntyA/pseuds/AuntyA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cop Renji. What more can I say.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

So, what did he want to do about that little situation over there he wondered. He put his hands on his hips above his gun belt and tried not to breath the acrid fumes in. The industrial building was fully involved now, the garage door and whatever that vaguely body-shaped mess was inside the loading dock now completely in flames. He'd have to wait he thought. No-one alive to recover and no way to get that thing out of there until the fire was out.

He thought about walking back out to the car but he figured he had time. There was a crackle at his shoulder and a low voice, "Abarai? Report in please."

He touched the radio button with his right hand, pushing down so he could talk. "Abarai, reporting in from the scene at the 2901 Convair fire. Flames are pretty high here. Awaiting your direction?" The greasy black cloud of smoke coiled up and right past where he was standing. His gaze was pulled back towards the thing that was on fire on the flaming loading dock.

He heard the Kuchiki come through the radio again, "Victim?"

Renji paused, "Boss, it's unclear if that charcoal thing is the victim. Dirtbag potentially super on fire though. Do I need to be here? Abarai, over."

"Leave it to fire services. Wait for them, hand it off and then come in. I have something else for you. Kuchiki over."

Renji glared at the smouldering lump and burning building in front of him. He said "Affirmative Captain. Abarai, over." to no-one on the radio. The Captain was irritated with the lack of easy evidence at the scene. Fire Marshall could probably tell more that Renji could just by standing here. As will the coroner. Renji didn't know why he was always the disappointment. Those guys used science. Science would give the Captain his answers, not Renji standing around a sweating in front of a building fully in flames for hours while the fire department took their sweet time to show up to the scene.

Well shit. He pushed his hat up off his forehead. The flames were hot. He tried the radio again, "Rangiku, Abarai on channel 4. Do you have an ETA for fire services? Over."

Silence.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, Rangiku. You are the smartest. I love you. You're beautiful. Answer me please. Abarai, over."

"I heard you the first time Renji. Let me check." She was so unprofessional. Man he hated having to go through her on the radios.

She crackled back on the radio, "T minus 90 on the bag and tag pickup. Fire services said they were already onsite."

Renji looked around, "Matsumoto where's their location? I see no-one and no emergency vehicles." He coughed from the smoke, "I gotta step back from here. This guy isn't going anywhere without a body bag and a shovel. Hang on. I'm moving position. Over."

"No biggie Renji. I'll see what's up with the fire guys." Rangiku ended the radio call. He was starting to lose sight of the loading dock behind the wall of flames.

He let his radio hang from his shoulder and looked around for a way to get out of the way of the flames. He was standing off to the left of the loading dock but in front of him was a roiling mass of flames and smoke. Behind him was a chain-link fence at least four metres high. And behind that a wide parking lot and the blind windowless back of a storage building. To the side was a metal siding warehouse wall. Not so many exit strategies. The fire had moved to the front of the loading dock while he was standing there and was now licking at the pillars less than a metre in front of him. And it was getting hot. Ashes drifted past him like snow. He was more than a little worried about those sparks. He didn't see a clear exit from this position now.

He shoved his hat down on his head more firmly, put his sunglasses into his pocket, took a deep breath, wiped his hands on his thighs, bent his knees and jumped for the fence like a pro. He clung on it for a second and then started to climb. He did a little gymnastic move with his legs at the top to avoid the razor wire and was on the other side in a couple of seconds. He was fleetingly proud that he cleared the sharps without so much as snagging his pants but then he felt a sharp pain in his ankle as he landed hard.

He took a moment to shake off the pain in his ankle and have a little cough. He bent over hands on his hips to catch his breath. Walk it off. He wasn't a teenager anymore no matter what he thought when he looked in the mirror.

He did his equip check. Lightly touching his hat, belt, holster, pepper spray, camera, baton, cuffs. Shook out his pant legs. Put his sunglasses back on. He started to walk around the back of the burning industrial building intending to end up back at the patrol car. Still no sign of the fire trucks.

He heard Rangiku. "Renji, fire services says they are at the location. Where the hell are you? They can't find you."

He reached up for his radio, "Lieutenant? What address are they at? I don't hear or see them here at all. I'm at Convair Road. That truck place on the corner. They aren't here." He looked around for any signs of life or emergency vehicles. He started walking back around to the front.

"I'm away from the fire now. Just not seeing any fire response on this side-" He was suddenly interrupted by what felt like a punch in the back that went through his gut. The radio fell from his grip.

His hat spun away across the parking lot. His shoulder hit the ground first as he spun down and to the pavement. As he smacked his head on the ground he felt his teeth go through his bottom lip and heard his sunglasses fall. In his awkward prone position, his hands went to his waist and came away from the side of his stomach above the holster bloody.

He felt another shot hit the parking lot pavement by his leg. His radio was still open. Rangiku would have heard all that. He wheezed out the words, "Hey. Shit. Code 10-53. I'm shot. I'm down. No idea where the shooter is. Fuck." He could hear Rangiku on the radio, squawking. He interrupted her, holding down the button with his other hand. "Fuck Rangiku, I'm out in the open. I'm down. God."

From where he was lying he saw a set of concrete steps to a exit door in the small garage building in front of him. He'd have to crawl. Shit. Sometimes this job really sucked ass. His arms burning, he crawled, dragging his body to the far side of the stairs from where he thought the shot had come from. Crap. He was going to faint. He fumbled with his shirt and tried stuffing a wad of it under his belt to put pressure to stop the bleeding. He didn't think he could stand at this point. He also didn't think the shooter would be done after only two shots. He tried to keep more of himself behind the concrete without aggravating his wound. His hands had gravel in the palms. He hugged his waist pressing the wadded up shirt against where he thought the shot had gone through.

"Hang on Renji. What number Convair? I have 2929 listed for the fire guys location." Rangiku was persistent.

"2901. I'm down the fucking street from them. Can't they see the damn smoke?" He coughed. That hurt. He wondered if he just got grazed. He didn't want to move to check but now the bleeding felt a little more like seepage now and little less like a class 4 hemorrhage.

"Fire guys are fully engaged alarm level 2 at 2929. They have at least 16 vehicles there. They can spare one for you. I'm on it Renji. I'll confirm. Hang on." Rangiku got off the radio. Now Renji could hear sirens in the distance but they still didn't seem to be getting any closer.

Shit. He flopped over to sit up a bit and pulled his knees up to get his boots behind the edge of the stairs. His side was  just burning now and he was feeling winded. Renji mulled this all over in his head. Maybe the guy was shooting from the roof of 2901.

There wasn't much else around for the shooter to use as higher ground besides the industrial building. What kind of a fuckwit sits on the top of a burning building to take potshots at a single patrol car cop at a basic industrial fire scene?

But it seemed the shooter had actually missed probably on purpose. Single shot to head would have taken care of him easily since Renji wasn't looking for trouble. Shooter could have taken him out on the fence just as easily. He had been standing around shooting the shit with Rangiku on the radio for ages completely open. 

No more shots since the one that went wide and missed him while he was lying sprawled out on the pavement. He didn't see or hear anyone running. No vehicles. He hadn't seen anything in there except for a burned pile of what could have been a corpse and a completely consumed empty metal building on fire. Shooting him must be just a warning then. He leaned his head back against the building and looked up at the flames on the roof.

He thought of something. He really didn't want to go to the hospital or deal with the SIU. "Hey." He said into the radio quickly. "Be merciful Rangiku. Whose on the bus for me? Can you get me Hanataro?"

Rangiku came back on the channel, "You need him special?"

"If you can. You know." Renji let his hand drop from the radio.

"I'm on it. I'll let him know to go in with the ambulance. That's gonna cost you." Rangiku ended the call.

He knew exactly how much it was going to cost him. The Kuchiki was going to kill him.


	2. Chapter 2

Renji sat gingerly on the edge of his chair in the interview room. His hat was on the table. He bounced his knee until he realized he was doing it and then stopped moving.

The guy looked at him coolly. Unblinking. Something about the SIU guy was familiar but Renji was sure he had never seen him before. The guy sat completely still at an angle to the table the posture somehow seemed familiar to him.

The guy lightly tapped his index fingers on the desk in front of them. “Now that you are back at the office I hope that your wound is not bothering you? Are you currently on sick leave?”

Renji leaned back and shook his head no. “Back today on desk duty.” He said curtly. “Hurt my back falling off the fence. No wound actually.” He didn't touch his bandaged waist.

He broke eye contact with the guy first. Staring down instead at the sleeve of the guy’s impeccable suit jacket, he muttered, “My union rep isn’t here yet. So I don't have anything to say.”

He couldn’t stare at the guy’s clothing any longer; it was becoming uncomfortable. The guy was so tiny and perfect. Something about the guy. He had this weird urge to lean over and see what that soft charcoal fabric felt like. Were SIU guys usually handsome enough to be models?

The guy turned his head to face Renji and spoke. “My name is Huo Wallace, Special Investigations Unit. I am going to be speaking with you about what happened at Convair Road.”

Huo bent his perfectly coiffured head to flip a page of the file on the table. “Officer Abarai, may I ask you some questions and you write down the answers for me? That way your representative can review them when they arrive.” Huo shot Renji a glance that belonged in a tv drama.

“That doesn’t seem quite right.” Renji sat back in his chair. He put his hands on the table. His fists seemed huge in comparison to Huo’s delicate hands, pale fingers.

Huo took a pen out of his sleek suit coat breast pocket and slid it across the desk. Renji poked at the pen with an index finger. He said unhappily, “I don't think this is a good idea.”

Huo just looked at him. “Take the pen and write your answers on the paper. Your rep will be here soon. I don’t wish to waste your time Officer Abarai.” He pointed with the flat of his hand at the paper in front of Renji. “We should have this conversation while your memories are still fresh.”

Renji sighed and picked up the pen. It was surprisingly heavy. And an old-fashioned fountain pen at that. He rolled it in his fingers. He shrugged and then tossed his braid over his shoulder with one hand. He slouched down in his chair so as not to loom over the man across from him and moved the paper in front of him.

Huo was studying him so closely. It was unnerving.

“Who was the victim you found in the fire?” Huo’s voice was steady.

Renji took the cap off the pen but didn’t write anything down. He held the pen and again felt like his hands were too big and the pen was too small. He scratched the nib on the paper, making little lines and dots in the blue ink.

“Did you see anyone at the scene besides the victim?”

Renji continued testing the nib. Small curlicues and fancy spirals. He hadn't written with a pen like this since grade school.

“Why was the fire department not at the scene?”

Renji ducked his head and turned the page over to draw on the back of the paper.

“Are you always so informal with the radio officers while on shift?”

Renji concentrated on drawing little hearts in a corner of the page. Huo’s voice was nice. A bit breathy. A hint of an accent hiding behind the poised Southern gentleman. Renji thought this Huo guy could be related to the Kuchiki. He stopped doodling abruptly at that thought.

“Who was on the roof of 2901 Corvair? Was it someone you know?”

Renji snapped his eyes up to meet Huo’s gaze. The guy was expectantly looking at him with those dark eyes. 

Renji dropped his gaze to the base of Huo’s throat, the soft hollow barely visible behind his dark tie and white shirt collar. Reni wondered what it would taste like if he leaned over the table and licked that exact spot.

What the hell, what did he have to lose anyway. The guy was SIU for crying out loud. Renji leered across the table. “So Wallace, you know you seem like an intense kind of a guy. Totally all business all the time.” He licked his lips and then lowered his voice, “So, either my rep shows up and we continue the business conversation or this meeting becomes just two guys, sitting in a room. Together.”

Huo sat. Unsurprised. Head tilted to the left. Said nothing.

Renji tried again, “Wanna talk about this after I get off shift?” He leaned forward and tried to smile at Wallace in his most suggestive way. “We could go for a drink someplace. You and me. You could see if I can remember something good for you without the pressure of this.” Renji waved his hand around to indicate the room.

Huo didn’t respond. He was looking past Renji towards the door of the small room behind him. Huo looked irritated now. His lips tightly pressed together. Eyes narrowed.

A hand smacked Renji on the back of the neck. “Abarai. Stop talking you horny dog.” The small woman had silently entered the room and stood behind him. She pulled out the chair next to Renji and stared down the SIU officer.

Renji started to speak, “This is my union rep Soi-Fong, this is Wallace–“

She cut him off. “Huo,” she pointed a finger at Wallace. “We’ve met before many times often in this same room. You can’t fool me with your SIU fancy suits. Obviously you are completely overpaid by management to harass the rank and file over nothing. Who do you think does the police work? Not you buddy.”

She leaned forward with menace. “So don’t be a dick this time. Officer Abarai didn’t do anything wrong on that call and you know it. Why are you even here?”

Huo bowed his head and smoothed out the file in front of him on the table once more. “I wanted some information about the shooting.”

Renji added, “What shooting? There was a carbonized corpse. A fire and I fell off the chain link fence. No gunfire.”

Soi-Fong growled at Wallace, “Just because you played a detective in a soap opera once doesn’t mean you can make shit up for your quota of ragging on the rank and file.”

Renji perked right up. “Soap opera? What kind of soap opera?” Now he thought about it, that man was just too handsome not to be an actor.

Soi-Fong laughed, “He played a detective’s sidekick. If you like those endless stilted relationship romance costume dramas he’s your man.” She stood up and moved a little closer to Huo in front of Renji. “Huo. This interview is over and unless you want to formally start a disciplinary process against Abarai we’re done here.”

Huo held out his hand. Renji looked at the hand for a moment blankly. Then he pulled himself together. He wiped the nib on the paper and then put the cap back on. He looked at it once more and then handed it back to Huo somewhat grudgingly.

Soi-Fong growled at him. “Move it Abarai. Unless you want wooden Wallace to write you up. Then I can’t help you.”

As he got up from his chair Renji rubbed his sweaty palms on his thighs. “Let me know what you think about my suggestion. Offer still stands even if you are a bit of a cold fish. Could be fun.” He grinned at Huo and grabbed his hat off the table awkwardly.

That voice again. “Officer Abarai. I’m sure we’ll be in touch.” Huo sat and watched them leave the room.

Soi-Fong dragged him down the hall and away from the interview room. “You are terrible. You were trying to pick up the Prince of Eyelashes? God Renji.”

Soi-Fing continued walking and added sternly, “I do not want to know anything about the incident or your love life or I will have to deal with it and you. Go talk to your Captain and leave me out of it unless Wallace comes after you for more information.

“So do you think he’ll call me?”

“No. I don't you idiot.” She punched him hard in the shoulder, “You need to pay more attention. The guy is a stone. And he wants to know what you did.”

She looked at him with hard eyes. Renji rubbed his shoulder wincing. “Yeah. I’ll go talk to the Kuchiki.”

“Moron.” She walked away from him with her determined steps ringing out down the hall.

Renji stood alone for a bit in the hall. People walked around him. Then he shook his head and turned towards the elevators for the dreaded trip to the 3rd floor unit offices.


	3. Chapter 3

Normally he was the one sitting on his desk staring awkwardly at the water stained ceiling while some poor jerk was getting their ass handed to them by the Kuchiki. Today he was the jerk.

Renji had no idea why the Captain always held these disciplinary conversations out here. He was currently standing in the designated haranguing spot, slouching down in the open desk area holding his hat in his hands and hanging his head.  His colleagues were watching silently from the edges of the room or seated at their desks.

The Captain adored anything recommended by a consultant. It was some stupid management technique picked up at a seminar maybe.

The Captain stood shorter than Renji but that didn’t change the power balance in this case. The Kuchiki had already imperiously and loudly gone over all the recent ‘issues’ and ‘transgressions’ with liberal use of air quotes and the menacing low voice.  

Stalking back and forth in front of Renji, jabbing a finger right up in his face, and glaring with narrowed eyes. All parts of the regular approach but Renji was still feeling hard done by. He hadn’t done anything wrong except to have missed an active shooter that no-one was supposed to know about and then he let the crime scene and the victim’s body be completely engulfed in flames.

Captain Kuchiki stopped momentarily for a breath and turning back to him, crossed his arms. Glaring at Renji he hissed, “Anything else that I have forgotten Abarai?”

Renji shrugged, he didn't lift his head.He felt his face reddening. His braid was coming loose. He shot a quick glance over towards his own desk. Thankfully Captain Kuchiki’s assistant didn’t seem to be over there to witness his current humiliation.

Then the Kuchiki made that sound Renji hated the most. The little sharp intake of breath that was imbued with all the Captain’s intense disappointment at him. Renji refused to watch the Captain narrow his lips and frown at him. He knew it was happening and that was enough.

Captain Kuchiki continued speaking tightly. “Then we are done here. I appear to have over estimated your abilities Abarai. Again. You will provide me with a written report listing your shortcomings for this event and I will let you know when you will be returning to active service in good time."

Renji remained silent. Head down. He sighed. Shit did he do that out loud?

"Everyone else here? Back to work." The Kuchiki snarled at him to behave himself, then spun on his heel, stalked into his office and slammed the glass door with a bang.

Renji studied his hat as he walked over to his desk. Trying not to sulk, he looked at the files in a stack in his inbox.

He heard a sharp voice, “Hey Red, looks like you were certainly told off today.” He looked over to the smirking young guy with white hair in a green suit on the other side of the room. “Captain’s in a mood no?”

“What else is new Detective? Give me a minute, Hitsugya. He just took a strip off me. I need to catch my breath at least.” Renji had sat down in his chair and pulled at his braid hard. He unbraided and then rebraided his hair in silence. That chore done, he stared at his desk phone and dark computer screen.

The pale haired man had walked over to Renji's desk and sat down casually in the empty chair at the next desk. "Hey Red. Now that your primping is finished. Captain Kuchiki asked me to review the paperwork for your firearm and your return to regular shift schedule in a couple weeks after this excitement has settled down. I think you know-"

Renji looked at him. "Yeah. Why the Captain had to do this bit I don't know since he already knew about the 'fence' and everything else that day. It's bullshit. It wasn't a surprise for him."

Hitsugya arched an eyebrow. "So you weren't in on the plan? I'm surprised. The Captain let is go right to SIU."

Renji growled, “It is bullshit. And now that SIU Huo prince charming is on me now.”

Hitsugya tapped his nose, "I find that a little interesting."

Renji leaned forward, "So what happens now?"

Toshiro smoothed his spiky hair with one hand, "Well, you aren't going to be on an active shift for a while. I can assign you to do some research into a some names I have in mind for your fence incident. Or you can sit here for a bit."

"Names."

Hitsugya said quietly, "Good choice. No emails on the precinct computers. No research on department systems. Don't make calls about it here. No texting on work phones. Nothing on paper at your desk."

Renji nodded, "Sure. Okay. Tell me."

Hitsugya asked. "You have a pencil and a paper?"

Renji looked at him quizzically, "I'm sitting at my desk and you just said-"

Hitsugya rolled his eyes, "Gin. Gin Ichimaru. Look him up at home."

"Got it. Okay"

"And his spindly friend, Izuru. That should get you a bit farther." Hitsugya sat back and idly brushed at his suit jacket cuffs. "We've been looking into some things. Some bad things. And you can assist us now that you are out of the patrol car and out of the direct line of sight for a while."

"Us being the Captain and you?"

"Sure thing Red. The Captain and me."

Renji looked at him again. Little bastard was impossible to read. "Okay whatever Whitey. I've got it. You telling me to go home then?"

"Sure. That's what I'm saying. Working from home on something for me." Hitsugya was grinning that stupid smile again. He tapped a pen on the desk in an erratic rhythm.

Renji said glumly, "I can't believe I wanted to work with you for so long Whitey. Should have made better life choices."

Hitsugya’s suit coat started to chime. He shifted in the chair and patted his pockets looking for his phone and continued, “Yep Red. That’s right you should have. Now go on home and we’ll be in touch. Glamour Shots Huo already took your badge and weapon right? So you are free to go. I’ll cook up something with SoiFon to make sure your time is booked for the right kind of leave.”

He reached into his coat with a free hand and handed Renji a thin envelope somewhat awkwardly. Hitsugya nodded at the envelope as Renji turned it over in his hands. “You’ll find some info in there.”

Then the little shit looked up and winked at him. “So get a track suit and then wait for someone to get in touch. You’ll see why in there.”

He looked back down ignoring Renji. Hitsugya was focused on his phone and waved his hand distractedly. Shooing him away.

Renji breathed through his nose and then said, “Whitey, this is my desk. Go to your own.”

“Sure sure.” He stood up and wandered off.

 Renji turned away pissed. He looked at his desk. He didn’t need anything here. He swept a couple of old coffee cups into the garbage can by his feet. Tossed a newspaper in there too.

He scribbled on a sticky note and slapped it on his computer monitor. That would have to do for an out of office message.

He’d pick up his shit from his locker and then go. He was still pissed about the reaming he had to stand still for when he hadn’t done anything wrong. The Kuchiki was working a plan for sure but he needed to let Renji in on that plan.

He took his phone off the charger on the desk, picked up his envelope and headed to the locker room.

+++

Renji was putting his boots in his locker and getting his shoes when he heard her behind him.

“So I heard you have a mission should you choose to accept it.” Rukia was standing behind him leaning against a locker.

Renji sagged a bit. “Don't start in on me too.”

Rukia came and sat on the bench in front of him. “So Toshiro gave you the info right? I’m the one who thought this would work. Don’t be mad at my brother.”

“Isn't it a conflict to report directly to a relative?” Renji started to lace up his Converse. “You’re his assistant. How does that work?”

Rukia laughed. “How many times do we have to have this conversation? I’m his assistant. Lump it.”

Renji grumbled and focused on his laces.

Rukia said, “So my idea was that you do some side work while you are off.”

“And how is that not a conflict either?”

“Because I think you look good in a track suit. Did you read what Toshiro gave you?”

Renji was stuffing some uniform bits into his messenger bag. “You mean this envelope? No. I haven't had time to look at it.” He waved the crumpled envelope at her before he shoved it in the bag as well. “Why don't you just tell me what you want?”

Rukia just smiled. “You’ll see. You have a couple of weeks to make it happen. Rangiku might be around to help you too.”

“That one is really not undercover material.” Renji tossed his braid over his shoulder and leaned forward pointing at his forehead tattoos. “And you know, I’m amazed you think I am.”

She leaned in, touched his forehead lightly and then dropped her hand. “I think you’ll do fine, I also think you can do it pretty easily given you already know one of the main players quite well.”

“I haven’t heard of either of the names Whitey mentioned. Who are they?”

“The name Kira ring any bells? That’s the Izuru Toshiro mentioned.”

Renji sat still for a breath or two. “Kira. Really? Shit.”

Rukia just looked at him.

“Kira is part of the problem at the moment. But you’ll figure it out when you meet up with him again. Which you will.” She patted his big hand with her tiny one. “You’ll be fine. Go home.”

“And what am I going to do there? Google search these guys?”

“Sure that’s a good start. But I’ve also had a parcel delivered to your place. Something you like and something you need. A Smith and Wesson 5946.”

His eyebrows threatened to leave his face. Renji sputtered. “You did what? How’d you do even get that arranged through the department?”

She laughed. “That’s what undercover means you meathead. A firearm is necessary for this job. I think there’s a phone in the box too. But you’ll have to find your own track suit. I didn’t have the right forms and coding for that.”

“Enough with the track suit jokes. What is up with that?” He stood up and looked down at Rukia.

She looked a bit more serious, “Read the notes idiot. And then go online and look them up. I have to go back to the Captain. Byakuya is grouchy because you are going to be off for a while. For some reason he feels you are necessary to his team. Doesn’t that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?”

“May not entirely make up for the stupid speech I had to deal with today.” He hoisted his messenger bag over his shoulder.

Rukia looked up at him earnestly. “Be careful. I probably won’t be talking to you until this is over. And neither will the Captain.”

“Whatever. I’ll see if I can figure out what the hell you are all babbling about.”

“Toshiro is your contact. He’ll be in touch. Don’t do too much until he makes contact. If you see Rangiku be cool. Just roll with it. It will be nice to see Kira right?”

“I doubt it. He won’t remember me.”

“You think? How can he possibly forget this? You are not that easily forgettable.” She waved her hand up and down at him. “Moron.”

“Whatever, don’t leave me hanging for too long Rukia. I want to come back to work at some point.”

He turned away from her as he heard the locker room door bang open and shut. Someone else was coming in. He shut his locker and clicked the lock closed with one hand. When he turned back to her Rukia had vanished.

“Hey Abarai.” Some guy walked by to the lockers behind Renji.

Renji nodded at him and then left the locker room thinking about track suits and a thin blond man with a mopey expression.


	4. Chapter 4

Renji thought that the package pickup store was odd to say the least. Down a dead end street and across from a Baptist church with a mobile sign that said in crooked black letters: Gratitude is the Heart’s Memory. What did that even mean?

It took him a while to find the store. They didn’t answer the phone when he called the number on the missed delivery card so he had decided to come over here anyway. He was worried about his parcel.

He had parked on the sidewalk over by the church sign. He stripped off his gloves and stuffed them into his helmet. He hooked the helmet over the handlebars and left it hanging. He double-checked the address on the card again because he just couldn’t believe UPS would leave a parcel here.

The glass door to the store was open to catch a breeze. The inside was dark. The inside looked like part of a set for a post-apocalyptic western. Piles of dusty old gum and candy bar boxes were moved up against the walls with racks of old sun faded greeting cards.

He had missed the delivery of Rukia's package by the time he finally got home. Shit. So Now his gun was sitting somewhere in this bizarre mess. Renji had never been down here by the river South of the railroad tracks. The air in the parcel pickup was humid and the heaps and piles of junk wasn't helping his headache.

Packages of all sizes were stacked anywhere there was room. A tiny aisle wove through the detritus delineated by a threadbare dirty carpet track. Renji couldn’t believe that UPS would leave a package here but that was the address the card had printed on it.

Renji was currently waiting in line behind a sun-hatted nanny with a chubby blond kid in a stroller. The nanny was aggressively arguing with the troll behind the desk about a box that hasn't shown up in whatever country it was supposed to have been shipped to.

The store troll was waggling his eyebrows and responding in monosyllables to the flood of angry Tagalog interspersed with a few succinct sharp phrases in English tossed in.

Renji stared over at the ripped poster on the window advertising dry cleaning services in what looked like the 70s from the picture of the plaid pants on hanger. 

He shifted from foot to foot. Then reached over to some thumbed through magazines flopping over on the rack. He shoved them back on the rack when he noticed the naked chicks on the cover with the dated big hair and even bigger boobs.

His attention was caught when out of the corner of his eye he saw the nanny lean in and the troll step back. A knife flashed.

Renji just stood there, that little woman seemed to be doing fine in the transaction. She didn’t need him butting in. And he didn’t feel like he necessarily wanted to save the troll.

Hands up as the Troll startled and stepped back away from her. Then the guy tried to placate her, keep the knife away from his large gut.

He anxiously mopped his forehead with a grubby handkerchief, murmuring and finally shoving a paper at the nanny. Pointing at something listed on the paper with a fat finger. Eyes scared. Nodding. Okay, okay, okay.

The knife had disappeared. The nanny was smiling. A bell jingled as the troll opened a cash drawer and nervously slid what looked like a stack of twenties over the counter to the nanny.

Some more laughing and smiling from the nanny as she took both the money and the paper tucking it all into the colourful diaper bag hanging off the stroller handle.

She chirped in a singsong voice at Renji to get him to stand aside in the cramped aisle as the blond toddler pounded a fat fist on the stroller tray. She was fearless.

Renji stepped aside to let her shove the stroller past him, nearly toppling the tower of parcels stacked up next to him. She ran over his boot toes. He grabbed at the parcels behind him before they fell.

Troll man raised his eyebrows at Renji’s helmet and leather vest, but said nothing. After she swept past him and the coast was clear, Renji stepped up to the counter.

"Uh. Hi.” Renji said awkwardly. The guy was completely pretending that nothing had just happened with that woman.

“I need to pick up a parcel? Here's the card with the number." Renji offered the missed delivery card. The troll ignored it.

"Name? Address?" The guy barked out. He sounded Bulgarian or something. Guy was built like a dirt pile. Flabby in the middle, eyes like raisins in a bun, uni-brow, knobby drinker’s nose.

Renji drew back the paper and said, "Aoki. November 6th Street..." He trailed off as the guy walked away to the back behind the desk to root around in a literal pile of packages. "Did you want the number of the package?"

"No. Only name." came the reply from the back. "Starts with?"

"Pardon? Oh. Aoki. A-o-k-"

"Fine. Good." Renji heard the sound of things falling in the hallway. Muttered cursing and then after a little bit the guy shuffled back with a small box in his hands.

"ID? Government." The guy held the package in one sausage-fingered hand and held out the other for Renji's ID.

Renji used his fake Aoki drivers' license that had been courtesy of Hisagi. No sense in starting the undercover stuff off on the wrong foot. The troll scrutinized the license for a couple of beats too long. Renji wondered if the guy could even read English.

The guy tossed the license back on the desk. Still holding the package he scrabbled around in some papers and pulled out a badly photocopied sheet. "Sign."

Renji took up the sticky pen tied to the desk with twine and scrawled something on the blurred lines. Renji put away his license and shoved his wallet back in his back pocket. He flipped the chain down, while the guy eyed the paper again and then poked the package at him.

Renji almost dropped the package when he took it off the counter. It was much heavier than he had expected.

The guy just looked at him with those dark flat raisin bun eyes. Renji said “Thanks” somewhat stupidly and tucked the parcel awkwardly under his arm.

Renji fled the gloom of the store out to the bright light of the street and back to the safety of his bike.

++++

“I tell you Hisagi that was the weirdest place. How does UPS trust that fat guy with actual parcels?”

“Eh, what?” HIsagi unhooked one of his earbuds and looked up from his phone somewhat glassily at Renji. He’d been already at the bar for a couple hours by the time Renji got there.

“I said where do you find these bars? Wacky.” Renji nodded at the backyard filled with lawn furniture and people eating things off metal trays.

Hisagi was slouching barefoot with his legs over the Adirondack chair arm at the back of the bar’s backyard. “You look over dressed man. What’s the occasion for all the leather?”

Renji snorted, “I’m not gonna ride in shorts dude. The chaps come off.” Renji was looking around for the waitress as he dragged over a chair closer to Hisagi. He dumped his helmet on the ground by his feet along with the package and his helmet.

“I’ve heard that from a bunch of people, eh Renji?” Hisagi laughed at his own stupid joke while Renji unsnapped the chaps and put them on the ground by his chair. He fiddled with the waistband of his jeans and untucked his shirt. Better.

Hisagi poked around with his foot to snag his flip flops. “Oi, Orihime!” He called over to the red-haired woman sitting at the bar under the tin roof across the lawn and he waved. She glanced over and then smiled. She leaned over the bar to the bartender put some beers on a tray and headed over.

“Hey Hisagi. Whose your friend?”

Renji offered her his hand, “Renji.”

She put down the tray on their table and shook his hand very solemnly. “Orihime.”

Renji started to get out his wallet to pay her but she waved him off. “Your friend’s running a tab.”

Renji turned back to Hisagi, “You want me to pay it Hisagi?” Orihime giggled and Hisagi frowned.

Orihime smiled again at him. “No, you don’t really want to do that. It’s probably a little bit more than you are expecting.” She flipped her hair and patted Hisagi on the shoulder. “Don’t worry Honey, we’ll just own you.”

Renji watched her walk away. “Get your eyes of her ass please. You came to see me did you not?”

Renji tore his gaze away from Orihime’s retreating back and concentrated on his friend. “So Hisagi. I have a small favour to ask you.”

Renji noticed his friend’s dark grey eyes were tired. Hisagi never looked that great. His handsome face was hidden now by the scars and the unfortunate tattoos. His skinny frame didn’t help either. His worn board shorts looked like they were going south, hanging off his hips as he sat forward. It gave him a look not far off from that guy in the bar you pray you don't have to sit next to.

Hisagi raised a beer to his lips, “What? What can I do for you? You’re the one with the j-o-b.”

“Well about that.” Renji tried to look sheepish. “I’m off for a bit.”

Hisagi giggled. “You? You’re suspended? Hah.”

“I’m on leave. After I fell off the fence at that fire scene, they sicced the SIU on me. My union rep is working on it. But the thing is, I need to make some cash while this is going on.”

“Suspended without pay? That is tough man! You are an idiot to get suspended. What do they think you did?”

Renji took a drink of his beer to think about exactly what he wanted to say.

Hisagi wiped his nose on his t-shirt sleeve and stared off into the yard, picking at the label on his beer bottle.

“Yeah well, we’ll see what they think I did. I did nothing. It's bullshit.” Renji nodded at Hisagi. “And I got hurt. So they said drive a desk or take off. I chose the off.”

Hisagi nodded back, saying excitedly, “So you going to hang with me for a bit then? Like old times?”

“Sure buddy. Whatever you say.” Renji nudged the box by his foot. It clunked. “I need you to find someone for me though. You know him.”

Hisagi looked at him blankly from behind his shaggy bangs.

“Remember Kira?”

“Oh ho. Sneaky. Back on the wagon eh? Or is it off the wagon.” HIsagi mulled that over and drank more of his beer. “I remember him. I even think I saw him recently.”

Hisagi perked up and set down his empty bottle. “In fact I think we might even have a little something to do that will help you on both fronts. Find you Kira and make you a little cash.”

“Sounds good. But keep in mind I need to keep a bit of a low profile. I’m not fired.”

“Yet.” Hisagi grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

Renji opened his eyes with a groan. His bed sure was hard today. Was that his alarm going off?

Startled, he remembered he was suspended. Creature of habit he was not used to being without a workday.

So had he ridden home from the bar? He dropped his hand to the bare floor, and touched his helmet. Well he guessed he was getting more into the undercover thing. He sat up gingerly, trying not to move around too much to reduce the stabbing pain in his side.

His head ached and his mouth tasted like ashes. He squinted at the room. He wasn’t at home. This board he was sleeping on that was killing his gunshot wound seemed to be Hisagi’s fancy couch. He scratched at his hair. Ugh. He had slept with his hair out. In his clothes. Perfect.

No Hisagi in sight. He fumbled around on the floor for that phone. 11 am already. He was supposed to go find Kira today and try to somehow hang around to see what they were up to and to not blow his cover. Right.

The beeping was a text from Whitey. He glared at the phone. That guy. Still prattling on about the tracksuit. Renji hadn’t had time to read the envelope that was sitting in his apartment. He had gone straight to the bar from picking up the box and then apparently here. He wondered if he had actually come home with Hisagi or had left him behind somewhere by mistake.

The floor provided more information while he tried to focus. Chaps, helmet. Box. Gun. Good. He sat up and doubled over. God that shouldn’t hurt so much still. He guessed that drinking didn’t help the recovery process. Holding onto the phone for support he started to lurch around the tiny apartment looking for Hisagi.

“Hey.” He rattled the bathroom doorknob and then put his ear against the door to listen. “Hey! You in there?” He heard a low ‘fuck you’ from inside.

Renji shouldered up and shouted through the door, “Hisagi. Open the door. Come on. What’s going on in there? You okay?”

He heard Hisagi mumbling something, then a sharp hit on the door. Followed by an animal like scrabbling low on the door and the lock clicked open.

Renji pushed the door, nearly hitting his friend sprawled on the floor. Hisagi was blocking the door from opening fully. He realized what he was looking at exactly.

“What the hell, you can’t shoot up in the living room? Shit. Get off the floor man.”

Hisagi grinned up at him from the floor holding a lighter and his works. “Sorry, sorry, force of habit.”

Renji grabbed at him. “You need to wipe your nose and put that shit away.”

“Okay, okay, not totally used to having a roommate. You were asleep on the couch. Give me a break.” Hisagi dabbed at the trickle of blood under his nose with his shirt. “I’ll clean up the bathroom later. You need it for something right now?”

“No. I just want to get started.” Renji found himself getting sulky with his friend. He hadn’t realized just how strung out the guy was these days. This wasn’t looking good. Textbook. In fact, any second he thought Hisagi would ask him for-

Sniffling into his shirt Hisagi blurted out, “So Renj, man, uh, you got 40$ I can borrow? I’ll pay you right back but I have to see this guy and you know I owe him the money….” Hisgai trailed off looking earnestly at Renji’s face. “Renj? Buddy?”

“No loans man. Gah. Other room. Not doing this in the hall.” Renji turned and headed to the tiny space in front of the apartment window. Hisagi followed him limping a little and rubbing his arm.

Renji threw himself back on the couch he had just woken up on. “I’m not loaning you anything. You know I hate junkies. Right? You know that? Ah shit.” He grabbed at his side.

“What’s your point? I know you hate flipflops too but that’s all I wear these days.” Hisagi lifted a foot in a pink flipflop. Then he started back, pointing a skinny finger at Renji's stomach. “Renj? Uh. You are bleeding through your shirt. You okay? What-”

“I’m fine. Shit. This is why I’m off work and have time to get drunk with you. You have something for this in here somewhere?” Renji doubled over clutching his side. Knees drawing up. “I’m going to bleed on your fancy couch if I haven’t already.”

Hisagi got up stiffly and lurched over to his empty galley kitchen. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a bag. He sat back down and lifted up Renji’s shirt gingerly. He unwrapped the bloody bandages and worked on the wound.

“Yeah well, calling me junkie is a bit much don’t you think? I’m done with it after this. Done. I just get these headaches from my eye and it was helping. I’m done with it. I swear man. Renj. I promise.”

He was grinning hopefully at Renji with his good eye too bright, pupil too large. Then looked back down. “Oh. Ugh. Look at that man.” He did something that made Renji wince. “This is healing but you need to take it easy. Gunshot huh. No stitches yet? Did you want some?”

Renji shook his head and just kept his eyes closed while Hisagi poked around packing and rebandaging his wound. Hisagi continued, “I’m surprised the Kuchiki let you get hurt. I thought he took better care of his pets.”

“Fuck. You.” Renji snapped back at him. “He’s my Captain. He had nothing to do with it.” Grimacing at the pain, he said to Hisagi, “Why aren’t you still working man? You seem good at this.”

Hisagi stopped moving around and looked at Renji. “Yeah. That one fucking shift was the end of me man. That attack…it left me not really interested in people and I wasn’t going to go back to work if they wouldn’t protect me. You know frontline workers are too much at risk. So enough of that. And I got other stuff to do now.” He rubbed at his bad eye.

Hisagi flopped on the couch next to Renji after putting away his stuff. “So,” He waved his phone at Renji. “So. I did find Izuru for you.”

“And what was the hiding in the bathroom junkie stuff for then? You knew I was waiting for the info. Why did you let me sleep in?”

“Yeah yeah. Whatever. The pills weren’t working and I needed a pick me up. I don't have to pass a pee test anymore. Anyway, you looked tired. We were drinking at the Loflin having a grand old time and then came back here. You know, we haven’t had a nice night out like that for ever since you became a cop anyway.” Hisagi leered over at Renji at the ‘nice’ comment. "You want anything for that pain? It looks terrible." Renji shook his head his eyes squeezed shut The pain was subsiding. He needed a clean shirt that's all.

Hisagi waved his phone at Renji again. “You can go to his work after noon. That’s when it opens up. Is it after noon yet?” Hisagi lay back against the sofa, crushed up against Renji. Hisagi felt cold against his bare arm.

“Check your phone for the time.” Renji groped around on the floor for his stuff. His hand hit something hard and knocked it spinning on the floor. The gun.

Hisagi lifted his feet off the floor instantly. “What the hell? Better not be loaded there Renj. I’ll call 911 on you.”

Renji glowered at him and reached over for the silver pistol now under the window and stuck it back in his pocket of his jacket. Then he balled the entire thing up and put it back on the floor. He stared out the window at the rooftop patio across from the apartment.

“You carry a gun all the time at work copper. Why so careless with this one?” Hisagi jerked his arm back and then sat back down. He was slowing down.

“Forget about the gun. Where does Kira work these days? A bar?”

“That museum.” Hisagi nodded his head, looking down. The dark line tattooed across his nose made the rest of his face look paler than normal today.

“What are you talking about?” Renji looked down at him.

“That Japanese museum downtown. By the Peabody Hotel.” Hisagi tried again. “By that taco place you like. Not too far from your place.”

“It's Chinese.”

“What, uh, you mean, the taco place is Chinese?” Hisagi frowned. Renji could see the gears turning slowly as he struggled to connect the dots.

“Nope. The museum. It’s Chinese.” Renji slapped his thigh, suddenly feeling ashamed to see his friend this way. “Right. Then I’ll be going.” He stood up. “It's after noon.”

He looked down at Hisagi who had slipped down on the couch, listing to the left a bit. Head forward, bangs in his face, Hisagi muttered something.

“Eh? What. Say it again before you nod off.”

“His manager is the one to watch out for. Careful there man. That Ichimaru is a cold bastard. I’d go with you but, you know.” He trailed off. Eyes closed.

“Where’s your keys? I don't want to leave you here with the door unlocked?”

He didn’t get an answer, Hisagi had slumped over on the couch and was passed out. Renji stretched out an arm and tentatively looked for a pulse on his friend’s neck. Still alive.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Wallace Huo to come just in a later chapter, he kind of snuck up up on us as a more interesting recurring character so I still need to get there.

Now Renji was sitting on a bench on Main Street in front of the Peabody Mall for a meeting that was supposed to start in less than half an hour. He had gone home from Hisagii’s first to ditch the bike and his helmet. But most importantly, he wanted change his bloody shirt. In an attempt to be vaguely respectable looking for his meeting with Kira. He didn’t really want to look at the gash in his side more than he had to. 

He'd been told to bring the gun so he'd found an old holster down on the floor his closet. He now had it down the back of his pants. His track pants. As instructed, but still confused, he was wearing a non-descript blue tracksuit left over from the police academy. Under his hair he had a bluetooth ear piece.

Although his studio apartment was literally just around the corner from the museum, he never had much cause to come down this way. He figured he would never have crossed paths with Kira even if they were so close to each other.

In front of the museum, there were too many tourists walking in front of the trolleys or stupidly standing around to take photos on the wide street. During the day the street was full of tourists and drunks. During the night the street was full of drunks. He avoided the area unless he needed something from the liquor store or he was going to the Flying Fish or Gus's World Famous to get take out. When he was on shift he only came back to the apartment to sleep. When he was off shift, he slept at the apartment only if he ended up there. Sleeping on the apartment futon, he didn't really like to sleep alone.

This case seemed to be pulling out any number of surprises from long ago. Funny that Kira would be working so close to him without him ever knowing. It was hot and getting hotter in the lunchtime sunshine. His hair was sticking to his neck uncomfortably. Sweat was also trickling down past the holster in his back. He unzipped the tracksuit jacket and fanned at himself vainly with the Belz Museum pamphlet Rangiku had given him. He hated having his hair down in the summer.

Earlier, back at his tiny apartment after he had negotiated changing his bloody shirt, Renji had taken a moment to glance at the envelope both Hitsugya and Rukia had told him was crucial to his assignment. He always eventually did his homework, even if some had said he had a bad attitude.

He spread out the papers, now crumpled, on his kitchen counter. He didn't own a table. On the top of the pile was a thin onionskin letter palely typewritten carbon copy authorizing a search warrant on the possessions of someone named G. Ichimaru. Renji was interested to see the warehouse address in the letter was the same as the burning heap of charcoal from a couple days ago that started all this mess. Apparently at that time, Ichimaru was the owner of a warehouse at that same old Corvair address. 

Oddly, the letter didn’t specify a list of items to search for. Renji was used to a standard search warrant form, this looked like something else. His eyes went to the top of the paper. The letter was dated fifteen years ago. Just when he had been a entering the police service. Renji couldn't read the signature but he noticed down at the bottom that the Kuchiki was one of the names it had been cc:ed to. He set it aside.

The next paper in the pile was a classified section that had been ripped out of some local weekly paper. There was a little ad, circled in red ball point pen, offering a reward for the return of a lost Japanese passport. It gave some details but Renji was intrigued to see that the person to contact was also listed as G. Ichimaru. The phone number had a different area code from Memphis.

Renji’s doorbell rang, startling him. When he tossed the rest of the papers back on the counter, a photo slid out of the pile. Renji paused half turned on the way to the door for a second look. The photo was obviously a surveillance photo. A thin man with very pale hair, in a yellow track suit, squatting low in front of a car, heels down. He had a cigarette in one hand and a thin smile, looking over at another vaguely familiar looking dark skinned man in sunglasses to his left sitting on a curb. The pale haired man’s visible eye was almost shut, he was squinting behind his long bangs, his smile wide. Renji frowned down at the photo as the doorbell rang again.

He shoved the papers back on the counter under an old kendo magazine, and walked the couple of steps to the door. He paused standing with a hand on the doorknob, “What?” He used his cop voice. Doorbell rang again almost in his ear.

Indistinct voice on the other side. Female. Oh brother. Renji yanked the door open before Rangiku could lean on the annoying doorbell again. 

The blousy red headed woman almost fell into the room. “What’s up Rangiku? I have an appointment in about an hour. Either come in or leave.” Renji turned back to his kitchen counter..

Rangiku blew past him on a cloud of hairspray, cigarette smoke and perfume. Somehow though she managed to smell as delicious as always. Closing the door with the toe of her platform sandal, she shrugged her pink pashmina off and draped it over the doorknob. She turned to Renji and looked him up and down appraisingly. He rolled his eyes and leaned against the small fridge a couple of feet from her.

Rangiku sashayed around the wall kitchen opening cupboards, "What’s up hon? You got any booze in this place Renj?" She closed the last cupboard door with a snap and turned back to him. "Rukia sent me over here to talk to you before your meeting this afternoon. You want to know why?" She had her hands on her waist, pants tight across her hips, purse hanging off one wrist.

“I’ll bite. Why?” Renji said. "I have no idea. You going to tell me or what? I came home, changed my shirt and I was going to go meet Kira. A guy I haven't thought about in years and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Beer here in fridge by the way."

Rangiku hip checked him out of the way and leaning down got a beer out of the fridge. Straightening up she held it up, "If this is all you have to drink then I'll have to make do. Where's the opener?" 

Renji pointed over at the drawers under the stovetop but Rangiku had already moved over to the counter and lifted the magazine off the stack of papers with her other hand. "What's this little stash of delights here?" She flicked through the papers with her fingers, wry smile on her face. "So you see now what I'm doing here?"

"Nope. What do you even have to do with his operation? How can you possibly be undercover? Most times you are like a neon sign blinking 'Hello' at unsuspecting criminals minding their own business."

“Aww hon that's not very nice. I can be subtle if I want to. Most times I just don't want to.” She drawled, her accent a bit thicker than normal when she was on the comms. “I’m supposed to be helping you out on this mission you stupidly signed up for. Don’t'cha want to know why? Why little ole me sent over here with crucial information for the mission?”

"Ah, no, actually?" Renji held the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He had shut his eyes willing her to just stop talking and moving. He heard drawers open and close. Now she was ransacking the tiny kitchen for an opener. He knew he only had two drawers over there. What was she doing anyway?

"Oi, Renji!" He cracked open an eye. The pile of papers now had the opener on top of it like a paperweight. She was holding up one of the papers, "This guy here. All these things are about him." She took a swig from the open beer bottle in her other hand. "This photo, Renji." She waved it at him.

"Yes? Him? Who's that? Is that the Ichimatsu guy from the warrants?"

She frowned at him, "No idiot, try to keep up. Ichimaru. Gin. My ex-husband. He's the guy you are trying to put under surveillance. The guy in these old warrants."

"Seriously? You were married before?"

"Well bless your heart. Yes. Married. To him. A million years ago." Renji saw the flash in her expression before it disappeared. The hurt. She covered it up with a laugh and a lean forward towards him showing off her boobs.

"How long have you known me Rangiku? You have beautiful breasts but not for me girl." He waved his hand at her. "Get on with it. I need to leave if I want to get to my appointment. How did you know about that anyway? I just got the info from Hisagi this morning."

"He called me."

Renji looked at her again, "I seriously doubt that. Hisagi was nine kinds of fucked up when I left him a couple of hours ago. I kinda doubt he called you."

"You are so mean to me since you got suspended. I didn’t have anything to do with that SIU mess. You know, Huo formally requested to pull all the tapes from your ‘fence’ day.” She did make the air quotes.  "There wasn't anything I could do about it, I had no choice in the matter. I did ditch the one where you are begging for help like a fool.” She smiled at her own cleverness.

Rangiku paused to look around the apartment, “Y'all got a chair yet in this monk’s cell here or what?”

He waved a hand at the zabuton cushions on the floor. She sighed dramatically and flopped down somehow managing to not pop open the few remaining buttons vainly keeping her shirt closed while doing so. She was in civilian clothes today. She generally favoured the tight, the bright and the shiny when she was out of uniform. Renji shook his head slightly, bitching a little "You know we aren't teenagers any more. Why don't you dress your age."

"You have on the shittiest thing I've ever seen you in. That repulsive track suit. Honey, don't talk to me about fashion Renj." She relaxed on the cushions, sipping her almost empty beer.

He came over and knelt across from her, wincing as his side pulled as he went down.. “Start talking please. They kept harping on the tracksuit. That photo. He's in one too. Am I supposed to be pretending to be someone? Kira already knows me even if your ex doesn't." Renji plucked at the track pants forlornly.

"Nah. You're just supposed to be a big dumb suspended cop. I think you can manage that role without too much distress. I'm not sure what is going on with the tracksuit but Gin sure likes them. Plus you are kind cute in a weird way in that thing. You look like a high school student."

"My hair is turning grey, I have a bum knee and I got shot in the side earlier this week. I'm also kicked out of work until this is over. Not feeling young. Why am I meeting with Gin again?" 

"That's why I'm here." Rangiku smiled slow at him like a predator. "You won't be meeting with Gin. I can assure you of that. Gin doesn't meet with strangers. He'll be there though." Her eyes glinted a little. Renji couldn't tell if she was happy or sad. "He likes to watch."

"He'll be watching me?"

"On video. Kira won't take you out of the museum while you talk. Ask him. He won't do it. Gin will be watching the meeting. Gin likes to keep his toys close."

"That just sounds nasty." Renji frowned at her. "Let’s not get carried away here."

"Okay, You're right, you’re right. But you will see what I mean. Kira hasn’t cheered up much since you knew him." Rangiku set her empty beer down on the floor next to her and collapsed back into a more comfortable slouch. "Kira has been working for Gin for a while. And Gin is running something out of his Chinese knicknack museum. We're not entirely sure what he's doing but he's now connected to you, the warehouse, some guns and a shipping container of drugs. My ex's museum is a pretty weird place. You might like it."

"Tell me again why he's connected to me now?"

Rangiku smiled at him again, this time the smile reaching her eyes, "Well Renj hon, it's because he shot you. I'd say that's a connection wouldn't you?" She laughed.

Renji just looked at her flatly. "You telling me he’s the one who shot me? From the roof of a burning building. The invisible man. Shit. Why does everyone else know everything before I do?"

Rangiku continued on breezily ignoring his interruption, "For some reason the Kuchiki is fixin' do this on the down low. Not sure why, maybe he actually wants to kill you this time. So Wooden Wallace will be on your ass as well since no-one actually knows that you are still working right now..." She trailed off and then snapped. "Renji! Huo won't be calling you so keep your mind off his ass." He had the good graces to look sheepish.

"You need to be clear of SIU so don't do anything stupid Renj. This won't work if Huo knows what's going on. He'll shut you down. Focus Renj!" She looked at him a little more closely.

“Renji? You really expecting him to call you?”

“Well, I did give him my number. You know, in the interview before I got suspended. Soi Fong wasn’t all that impressed. I didn’t give him anything about what happened though. Nothing business in that conversation.”

Rangiku giggled. “If you get a call back from the Wallatron that is personal you just let me know. I’ll buy a lottery ticket. That will be a blessed day my friend.”

She dragged her big purse over in front of them. Digging around in it, Rangiku retrieved a blue tooth earphone in a zip lock. "You're supposed to wear this. Then we can hear you.” She tilted her head and looked at him closely. “So Gin can't kill you even if he wants to."

"And I can look like even more of a douchebag than I already do in this track suit." He took the earpiece from her and looked at it through the bag. "Who's we exactly?"

"It will be me and Toshiro." She got stars in her eyes. "We'll be reporting back up to Rukia and the Kuchiki. You have the gun. You have a cell. I understand you have fake ID already, Aoki." She giggled on the fake name. "So you should be fine right? You don't need anythin' else?"

"Well, actually Rangiku, I need a whole lot of information. What is up with the passports? Why did Gin shoot me, and why did he set his warehouse on fire and who did he make into charcoal before I got there? You were married to the guy and you passed the security screening to be a cop? What the hell?"

“I don’t know much about all that stuff.” Rangiku was pulling another bunch of papers out of her purse. "Here." She shoved the file across the floor to him. "Rukia told me to give you these. Gin always has some kooky plan on the go. The weird passports scam was just something the Kuchiki has been following for a while. I never knew nothing about that. But the short answer is yes I was married to him. I've known him for a long long time. Since we were kids actually. If I was to go in there now he'd know he was being set up. He has Kira working in there so you can get in through him. Plus he shot you. So that’s like an gilt edged invitation where he’s concerned.”

She laughed. “And oh yes, everyone in the station knows about your love life. You are the only person who the Captain thought would be able to maintain something with Kira long enough to see what's happening with Gin."

"The Captain? Yours or mine."

"Mine. That delicious little little man Toshi." Rangiku was almost purring, the gleam back in her eye.

"Alright, anything else I need to know? I ain't going to read all that shit." His side was hurting and his knee was nagging at him. He started to get up jerkily, shoving the file away from him as he did. This was a really bad idea. His hangover from the evening with Hisagi was starting to crawl back into existence.

Rangiku was there suddenly, next to him, bumping his arm with her breasts, holding his arm. "Honey. You need to be alert for this. Kira alone is gonna see right through you. You can't fuck this up today. You only get one crack at making a first impression darling. The Kuchiki let you get wasted yesterday so you'd have cover today, not because he likes you."

“Chh.” Renji spun that little tidbit about his fucking mindcontrolling Captain around in his head.

He stood up fully and shook her off. "Okay then. If the Captain has it all planned out, why isn't he telling me this himself." Renji knew the answer already in his heart but waited for the answer, his pulse thumping behind one of his eyes. He moved in behind her to turn the light off and close the apartment door.

She sighed and bent down to get her giant purse. Again with the cleavage. She turned towards the door and said "Honey, he wants to catch Gin in his little trap. You just the bait. You know, the Kira connection? An' don't forget we all know that Gin just likes pretty things."

She pointed at his chest. "I think the Kuchiki also asked for hair down y'all." She laughed, a light tinkly sound in the little room.

Renji had growled at her, pulling out his braid, as they walked down the hall to the elevator together, wishing he was anywhere else doing anything else.


	7. Chapter 7

Kira had surprised him. Renji was sitting on that bench in front of the dead mall, he looked up from his phone at the sound of a nearby voice. He heard, "Hey, Hisagi said you wanted to see me?" He saw a slender blonde man dressed in a subtle black suit walking over towards him. It didn't register at first who the guy was. Only once the man had greeted Renji again gently in his low voice, his visible blue eye sharp on him with the other hidden behind the sharp cascade of blonde hair did Renji recognize him. 

Renji inwardly winced at the text message waiting for an answer on his phone, tearing his eyes from his phone, then stuffing it into his jacket pocket with the pamphlet. He kind of stuttered awkwardly, "Hi." He stood up hastily, brushing off his tracksuit pant legs. "Yeah." He breathed out in a rush. "Kira." Kind of a plea but not sure where to go with it. Kira took another step forward, hand outstretched, "It's nice to see you again Renji." Renji took the offered slim cold hand in his big sweaty one. That didn't feel awkward. No.

Kira grasped Renji's hand with both of his, long fingers lightly touching, and just held on with no indication that he was in a rush to let go. Renji looked down at him. "Uh so you work in here now?"

Kira smiled up at him, some crows feet around his eyes, Renji could see a pale scar through one eyebrow that he didn't remember. "Renji. I manage the Belz Museum in here. I can see that you really want to talk to my boss though." Kira nodded at the track suit. His smile didn't fade. "You live around the corner." That wasn't a question.

"Yeah, over on November 6th. Studio apartment I found a while ago. Building is okay not too many dogs. I have parking for the bike." Renji couldn't take his eyes off him.

Kira patted his hand lightly and then finally let it go. "I live uptown at the moment. But it's funny that we never crossed paths before this. What's Hisagi up to these days?" He took a small step back. Renji blurted out, "I don't have your number." Renji wondered to himself what he was doing exactly.

Kira was nodding, patting his jacket pockets, getting something out of a smooth dark leather card case. When Kira silently handed him a business card on thick creamy cardstock. Renji ran his thumb over the dark raised lettering. Kira's name and what looked like a cell number. A line in Japanese, something in Chinese and then the square logo Renji guessed was for the Belz Museum in the corner of the card. He put the card carefully in his pocket, considering for a second putting Kira's number in his phone right now this instant but decided against it.

Renji continued on, "But Hisagi is not doing that great actually. I see him sometimes. I guess I'm enabling him when I do. We go out and get into trouble. Well he gets into trouble. Since the assualt anyway." He trailed off. Kira was nodding. "I have done the same thing sadly over the years." Kira said gravely. His voice was soft but it penetrated farther into Renji's heart than he could have ever imaged. It also occurred to him that they were standing very close together.

Renji hid his rising flush with a joking answer, "Welp, I guess I need to fix up some things in my life then. Can't always leave a guy in distress. Thanks for seeing me today." He figured on just continuing to brazen it out, "You heard about my work problem? I'm suspended. It's fucked up." He flicked his hair off his damp neck with a quick motion.

"Let's walk and talk together. This way, I'll take you downstairs to the galleries. We can talk there." Kira turned to lead the way, Renji's gaze raked over his tailored back. He followed a step or two behind. Kira slowed to let him catch up. "You have never been to the Belz? Even living around the corner?"

Renij didn't know how the hell Kira could be wearing a suit coat in this heat without looking wrinkled. Renji held the door to the mall open for Kira to go in under his arm. "I never come down this way. I mostly just work."

Renji felt the cool mall air as they walked through to the stairs going down to the museum. "I thought this mall was empty, you know unrented. I guess I never had any reason to look in here." Their steps echoed in the empty space. 

Kira stopped just past a large fake plant in a huge pot in front of a staircase with a white plastic chain across the entrance. He unhooked the chain to let Renji by and then turned to rehook it behind them. They started down the stairs. Renji felt a bit like he was descending into a dream of ancient China.

The bottom of the staircase was flanked by two enormous blue Chinese wide mouthed vases with dragons for handles. Taller than even him. The lobby space was set up like a room with traditional rosewood antique chairs and massive jade plants in jade pots, ceramic drum tables and chairs. Kira moved past the front desk, murmuring something to the man standing at the cash sorting pamphlets and papers into piles. He held his hand out and the man handed him a security pass on a clip. Kira turned and offered it to Renji. Their fingers brushed again. Kira laughed as he dropped the cardboard pass into Renji's hand. "You haven't really changed Renji, even if it has been twenty years. Still the hopeless romantic."

"Hey there, this is a conversation about work right? I thought it was a conversation about getting some work." Renji was however blushing furiously now, and he had the sinking feeling that Kira was going to be teasing him endlessly. His eyes flicked up to the video camera on the lobby. He wondered how good the video was. What exactly Rangiku's ex was able to see happening between them in his lobby.

Kira said "Sure, I want to hear what is going on, why you are off work and then maybe I have something for someone with your skills and experience. But are you looking for something permanent?"

Renji asked, "Uh. Can I talk to you about this somewhere more private maybe?" He could feel his phone buzzing in his pocket. He was getting texts. Many texts. He willed himself not to check his phone.

Kira looked up at him a bit more closely, "Sure Renji, let's move into the Luohan room over here. No-one will bother us. Mark has his stuff to do before we open up in an hour for a meeting about some investments, we're actually closed on Fridays so no visitors." Kira slid a wide door open leading down a carpeted hallway and gestured to Renji to follow.

The museum was darkened except where the motion sensor lighting above turned on with a soft click as they walked down the hall. The carpet made their footsteps disappear. Kira slid open a frosted glass door and shut it behind them.

Before the lights clicked on a beat too slow, Renji first saw dark massed shapes against the wall in the dim emergency lighting across from where they stood. The lights turned on, a subtle combination of pot lights and spotlights, softly illuminating the 18 carved Luohan statues arranged in a stepped pyramid starting at hip height. Kira moved to an ornate bench in front of the display and sat down, pulling at his grey suit trousers above the knees with both hands. And looked over at Renji expectantly.

Renji followed him. "Nice room. Very Zen." He sat. His pocket continued to buzz. "Kira, can I just turn off my phone, or at least put it on do not disturb? Someone seems to be in a panic about something." He slid the phone out of his pocket, glancing at the screen and angling it away from Kira. Wallace. Rangiku. Hisagi. Rukia. Wallace. Rukia. Rukia. Rukia. He thumbed do not disturb on and tried not to think of why Investigator Huo would be texting him, let alone twice in an hour. He reluctantly shoved the phone back into his pocket.

Kira had been gazing meditatively at the Luohans while Renji fussed with his phone. Renji looked at them now searching for his favourite one, Happy. Just left of the centre Deer Sitting as always.

Kira asked him, "What has happened to you Renji? You were so wild and strong." He smiled.  "Strong willed I mean. Now you are so hesitant. Is it just age?"

Renji cleared his throat, let the performance begin, "No not exactly. I'm a cop. Or I was one. I liked it. Not sure what's happening now. SIU is on me. All I did was go to a fire incident scene. But they think I have something else going on. So fuck them. I figured I have something else going on if they aren't going to pay me. Hisagi suggested I call you. You know, for work. He has got some connections going."

"You worked with the Kuchiki? In your cop job?" Kira was still staring at the statues.

"Yeah. He threw me under the bus on this one."

"And what exactly was this one? What happened at the fire scene that got you suspended?" Kira turned back to Renji, Eyes steady on him.

"The fact that I got shot by the invisible man but didn't tell anyone because it was so stupid? Or the fire department 'happened' to get the wrong address so the whole thing burned down?" Renji stopped. "Or the mysterious warehouse contents listed in years worth of city contracts but completely empty except for some gas cans and a charcoal bricquet that was a dead body? Fuck if I know. SIU thinks I have something to do with it so that's done. I'm fucked. Kuchiki doesn't care about me. I gave him the best years of my career. And my fucking knees."

Kira looked at him coolly. "That makes no sense."

Renji could feel his tone rising. "Yes. Exactly. Fucking SIU Huo is on my ass. Kuchiki wasn't interested in the hassle so he cut me loose. Union is useless." With apology thoughts to Soi Fong, he crossed his arms angrily and frowned. He felt silly doing this in front of Kira but he knew the performance was actually for the video camera in the corner.

"So you've been on leave without pay for how long?"

"I was hanging with Hisagi yesterday. I don't totally remember all of it but I guess I decided to go with his suggestion. They made me take all my stuff out of my locker. I'm going to lose my job. I got bills." He considered pushing the slight whine in his tone but stopped short of dropping into it entirely.

“SIU is looking into it you said?”

“Yeah. My union rep Soi Fong got him off my back at first but he’s after me now. Wants my statement about the warehouse but I don’t want to talk to him about it.” Renji stopped at that.

“Wallace Huo in SIU? Is Wallace Huo looking into it?”

“Yeah. You know him?”

Kira didn’t answer but looked at the statues not at Renji.

Renji tentatively reached his hand over behind Kira and lightly touched his suited back. He ran his hand up and down, kind of patting sort of stroking awkwardly. Kira had started talking about the Belz guy who collected al this weird Chinese stuff but Renji caught that Kira giving a slight glance at the video camera in the corner of the room.

Renji patted Kira and thought about what exactly he was doing in this over air-conditioned basement full of life-size enamelled statues of the Monkey King. He also thought about how Kira's back seemed much smaller under his big hand than he remembered it being. Kira droned on but didn't move away from him. In fact he turned and angled his knees into Renji's legs.

Kira had sat them down on a bench in front of the 18 Lohan statues in the little room off the main hallway. He guessed this was part of the introduction to Kira's boss.

Kira's thin pale hand came down on one of Renji's legs. He could feel the chill seep through his pants. Kira had stopped talking and was looking up expectantly at him from under his bangs.

Renji paused in his patting, making a sort of hmmm sound that he hoped conveyed that he had been paying attention. "uh, yeah."

Kira looked at him. "Seriously? What are you thinking? You undercover right now? You are terrible at this."

Renji, sighed and forced himself to put his hands in his lap as hard as it was to stop touching Kira, "No. You are right. I was...I'm fired. I'm actually not suspended. " He looked over at Kira hoping that he was believable in his delivery.

"Not sure we entirely believe you friend." A different much deeper voice hissed the words from the doorway behind them.

Renji turned carefully, trying not to dump Kira off the bench, to see who had joined them in the alcove. "Byakuya had enough of my shit apparently..." Renji stopped talking. Something about the pale haired man in the doorway made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Dressed in a white tailored suit. Gin Ichimaru.

Renji had a deep and startling feeling of dejavu with the white and black thing going on. All three of them just looked at one another. Renji knew he looked a bit bewildered. Kira and Gin seemed impassive.

"Awkward silence or what!" Gin moved through the room to stand in front of the sculpture display. He lounged against the glass and looked at Renji smiling creepily. "So you are fired from the Mephis PD? You got that in writing or you have something to show for your firing?"

Gin's voice was low and stretched out the sibilant sounds in a way that struck Renji uncomfortably. "I know Byakuya some. We used to work together. Closely. He’s a bit tricky."

Renji filed that piece of information away to think about later. "My leave without pay is over. No review of suspension. No charges." He fought down the urge to finish that sentence with 'yet'.

He fumbled in the pocket of his pants for the paper. He carefully kept the gun in his waistband hidden although he could feel the sweat dripping down his back next to it. He fished out the paper and handed it to Gin. "You wanted to see this?"

Hitsugya had prepared a bunch of paperwork for him that listed Renji Abarai something something criminal charges, conduct unbecoming, misconduct. Suspended. Officially. It pained him to see it even though he knew it wasn't real. 

Gin took it between his fingers as if it was something that could bite. Renji watched him run his fingertips over the signature at the bottom Gin's eyes so squinted it looked like they were closed. Gin turned to him with a smile that was anything but friendly. Gin shook the paper lightly and then held it up to the light. "All your shame in one place sir. A single list of your troubles so to speak. Ah yes indeed. So policeman no longer." Gin seemed to be speaking to the statues at this point.

Renji held up his hand for the letter. Gin folded it up and slid it back across Renji's outstretched palm. Gin chuckled. "So. Kira says you are looking for work. Will you kill a man for me?"

Renji sort of gasp choked. Kira interrupted, "Now now. Gin. Save that for later." Kira sounded amused.

Gin stood by the bench they were sitting on. He made a little wave with his hands and then sat down on the other side of Renji. Close. If Renji had thought Kira's hands were cold, Gin’s leg was like ice where it touched his.

Gin leaned in closer. "You know I shot you that time. That was me." Kira rolled his eyes and smiled a little smile. Gin continued "From the roof." He mimed holding a rifle and aimed the imaginary thing at Kira. "Kapow." Then he turned back to Renji. "But you knew that of course I imagine. No? That fire in the storage place."

Renji blew out his breath that he had apparently been holding. "Okay. Thanks for that I guess. I'm recovered now thanks." 

"Ah. Yes. Recovered." Striking with deadly accuracy Gin put his hands together on Renji's side and pressed hard. Firmly on the bandage under his shirt.

Renji gagged and bent forward. Gin ran his hand up Renji's back and hauled the gun out of Renji's pants. Kira took it from Gin carefully and held it in both hands. Gin had wrenched one of Renji's arms up behind him in an iron grip. Through the sharp pain, Renji could feel his elbow getting ready to pop. He grunted.

Gin asked him something. Renji's hearing snapped back into focus, Gin was asking him about the warehouse fire. "I went to a fire I was dispatched to man. Got shot, didn't feel like discussing it with fucking Byakuya so I already was on probation. I was sent there on a call man. They fired me." Renji felt he was babbling. God Kira was fucked up these days. Doing nothing to help him as this crazy man ripped his arm off. 

Gin leaned in on him again and this time Renji did feel his the bones in his arm grind together.  He may have made a small sound. Gin tossed his bangs to the side and slid in closer, effectively trapping Renji between the two of them. Kira made as if to get up.

Gin clucked at him and then forced Renji's head down and up against the short glass barrier in front of the lohans. Renji kept his eyes on the statute of the monk with the staff in his hands now inches from his face. A groan ripped out of him. Gin lightened up on his arm.

"I don't believe you. Why were you there for me to shoot? Why are you here now for me to twist your arm?" Gin had punctuated that last bit with an extremely painful twisting of Renji's wrist. "And the gun?"

Renji was doubled over. He choked out, "Not from work." Kira flipped it over in both hands and looked at it again. "He's right. Not his service weapon."

"And that annoying Shuei Hisagi? Why was he calling my Izuru?" Renji felt like he should be laughing but wasn't. "You are not anyone I want near me. You smell like that Kuchiki." Gin moved his face away from Renji’s hair and scowled.

Gin forced Renji to the floor and then stood on his ankles. Renji's face slid down the glass until his chest was on his knees. 

Kira stretched out his legs next to Renji and tapped him with one polished shoe tip. "Renji. Gin isn't a job placement centre. What are you going to do to make him to give you a job then?"

Renji muttered sulkily into his knees, "Whatever you want. Can't work anywhere else now."

Gin suddenly cooed in his ear, "You don't want to stay home now that you're not working? Or maybe spend some time on yourself and go into therapy? Or did you just miss Kira? You know you live down the street. There are other ways to cross paths."

"I said I wanted to work for you. I need money. I didn't know you shot me."

Gin sighed and released his arm. Gin sat back down and put his foot on Renji's back. Holding him there somehow with only his spindly looking leg. Renji was getting tired of this conversation.

"Maybe I'll tell you what I was doing in that warehouse and who that carbonized stain on the floor was but maybe I won't. Now that I think of it, I may need a certain thing done. But consider yourself on probation." Gin moved his leg and Renji sat up slowly. His nose was bleeding from the glass. Kira, of course, offered him an ironed handkerchief adding, "I don't need that back." Kira waited until Renji had finished dabbing at his nose before handing back the gun.

Kira volunteered something in the uncomfortable pause, "Gin, did you know that Wallace Huo is looking into Renji's 'incident'." Gin's head snapped around to look at Renji again. He seemed to be considering something.

Gin was now pacing in front of a lacquer altar table along the side of the alcove. "So what do you want the money for exactly?"

Renji was settling the gun back in his pants. His elbow felt broken but he figured Gin knew when to stop as he could still flex his hand and move his wrist. "I have some debts. To Hisagi's friends." 

Gin tut-tutted at that. "That will not do." He nodded at Kira who handed him Renji's gun, then stood and walked to the door of the alcove, waiting. "So? The amount please?"

Renji was having a hard time keeping up, "uh." he stopped. Gin cocked his head, "The total. I can't have your loyalty divided between me and some loan shark or was it some drug dealer."

Hisagi had given him some advice about this part of the discussion. Renji answered him, lowering his eyes and dropping his voice as if embarrassed, "80 grand." They had gone around and around a couple of times over the amount to make it believable. Renji hoped they had gotten it right.

Gin sighed dramatically and waved at Kira who spun on his heel and left the alcove. Renji carefully felt the bridge of his nose with two fingers. Sore but not too bad, He shot a glance over at Gin who was now sitting on the lacquer table swinging his legs. Gin was smiling again, that creepy smile. He was snapping his fingers on one hand. He seemed to be counting.

Renji didn't break the silence. He concentrated on making sure his elbow wasn't dislocated.

Kira appeared in the room with a brown paper bag in his hands that he handed to Renji. "What's this?" Renji looked at the bag and then back at Kira. 

"Money." said the voice from over by the table. 

"Okay then."


	8. Chapter 8

Renji leaned over the sink, heaving. His guts churning. He spat the bile heavily into the drain. Fuck. That was certainly something. He avoided looking in the mirror, the bathroom was tiny, so he kept his head down, panting slightly. Hands on the porcelain sink.

He choked again, bile pushing upwards in his throat. He spat again spit drooling from his mouth. He willed his hand off the edge of the sink where he was gripping it too tightly and swatted ineffectually at his loose hair to get it out of the sink. The bathroom room smelled vaguely like smoke. Acrid smoke.

He had figured Gin would kill someone while he was working for him. He just didn’t think it would be like that exactly. And he didn’t figure that he’d be right there. Or that it would be someone he knew. He wasn’t altogether surprised that it had happened but then when it unfolded in front of him, he found that he was not prepared.

He thought back to that carbonized lump at the warehouse fire scene. That used to be a person. The person doing the work for Gin that Renji was currently doing. And he, just scant minutes ago, got to see just exactly how Gin had done what he had done to that woman in the warehouse, when Gin murdered Wallace in the other room.

His stomach was maybe settling. But his mind wouldn’t stop the replay. He breathed through his nose. He could feel the snot. He wiped his mouth again, braving a look in the ancient mirror. His braid was loose. Some of his hair damp. He couldn’t tell if he’d barfed on his own hair. He was gagging again. Shit. Bending forward he spat with finality into the sink once more. Enough of this. He pushed his hair back off his face, leaning forward to run the braid under the tap.

The lightbulb above his head was wreathed in the barest tendril of that goddamn smoke. The bathroom was so small he half leaned his forehead on the mirror while working his braid through the water. His knee was wedged up against the john. He focused up on his hairline rather than looking at anything in the room. Grey hair at the sides of his widow’s peak. Red hair lightening with age. Lined forehead. Dark bags under his eyes. Light sunglasses tan line. Make that a cop sunglasses tan line.

He hadn’t had a reaction quite like that before. In his life, Renji had seen some bad shit. But as a cop he always rolled up on it after the action had taken place. The murders. The beatings. The blood and guts spread around the scene. The victim was always a corpse or pretty much getting treated to avoid becoming one.

The gory visuals replaying in his mind were interrupted by muffled thumping on the door. His ears were ringing still. He closed his eyes again. Kira inquiring when he’d be finished in there, they had to get a move on. Renji pull it together. Let’s go.

He frowned slightly. Wallace. Gin had some cleaners coming to deal with that. Renji hoped no one ever asked him what occurred in there. He knew he was complicit in that he didn’t try to stop it. But other than that it was all Gin.

He turned off the water on the ancient sink. Two knobs. His bruised knuckles looked dark against the pale sink. He flicked his ragged braid over his shoulder. He looked down at where his sweat suit jacket sleeve had scorch marks up to the elbow. And he looked down at the dried brains splattered on the front of it. He shrugged off the jacket and kicked it away from him with distaste. That smell.

SIU Huo’s face across that table in the precinct appeared in his mind. The image of Wallace’s perfect hair and then his manicured hand holding the fountain pen. Renji’s brain unasked provided a snapshot of that same hand, curling in the flames, motionless black talons.

Kira was speaking at him through the door. Stop barfing Renji. Pull yourself together Renji. The doorknob twisted. The transom rattled. A thump later and the door opened abruptly. He saw Kira standing there in the mirror, silently waiting,  a pale shape in the dark hallway. Renji drew himself up, at attention, turned on his heel  and looked at Kira as if from a thousand yards away. “Did you get it all off?” Kira’s fingers poking at him.

Kira was moving them down the hallway towards the stairwell. “You leave anything in the office Renj? I saw your sweater on the floor in the bathroom. Still have your gun? Leave anything else?  I’ll tell the cleaners.” Kira was grabbing at his arm, holding up his hands to check for what exactly? Renji just let him for a couple of floors and then pulled his arm out of Kira’s grasp.

Kira stayed close, shoulders bumping as they headed out from the stairwell out the Barboro Alley doors of the office building. Renji could smell an soap or aftershave or something on Kira so good it made his heart hurt. He figured he smelled like fucking disgusting corpse smoke. Burnt hair and fingernails. His stomach lurched. Renji didn’t see Gin’s pale hair on the street anywhere now. Thank the gods.

“Gin left already. He called for the cleaners. Just a few blocks back to the museum.” Kira’s voice was close, right next to him. Quiet. “I want to apologize to you Renj.” Kira turned them back onto the street from the alley.

Renji was just walking blindly in the direction Kira was leading him. Kira kept talking, “Had you known Wallace long?” They were walking down the middle of South Main street in the trolley tracks. When Renji didn’t answer, Kira tried a different tactic, “Wallace wanted to know about Gin from you in that disciplinary interview. Right? He was quite dogged when he had something he wanted.”  Renji was feeling it rise again. The nausea.

Kira steered him to a bench just outside a Chinese restaurant. Renji hung his head in his hands. Kira patting his back. It felt like a familiar scene. Let’s go Renj. Let’s go back to the museum. Come on. Just a few more blocks. Renji could feel the bile rising again. But he managed to suppress the gagging this time.

“Why do we have to go back there, can’t I go home?” Renji hoped that thick-tongued whine didn’t sound as petulant to Kira as it did to him. Kira just ignored him and kept talking about Gin.

“Gin will sort it all out. Deal with whatever Wallace had planned for us. Or planned for you. No worries.” Kira smiled. “Wallace has some interests too. He wasn’t all that clean you know. Gin had worked with him before.”  Renji marvelled at how age had improved Kira’s mood, although he really didn’t get how Gin’s smothering grip on him worked. Kira didn’t seem an unwilling participant in the whole thing. Heartless. Amoral. Creepy. Not really how he would have described Kira in the past.

Now Kira was steering him firmly back into that empty mall towards the museum’s giant potted plants at those stairs down to the basement. Or directly to hell.

+++++++++++

They were the only ones in the museum. Renji guessed that the museum was closed in the mornings or maybe just that day.

Gin had encouraged Renji to stay off the internet while he was ‘working’. Renji certainly wasn’t stupid enough to try searching “Gin Ichimaru murderer” on the museum wifi.

Kira had said he needed to make a few calls from the office Renji wasn’t allowed to go in. So he spent some quality time with his eyes closed lying uncomfortably on a hard jade bench in the little waiting area by the cloakroom. He didn’t think he would have been able to fall asleep but apparently he had no conscience.

When he woke up they were supposed to have already been somewhere else and moving on to whatever the next step was. So now Kira was standing by a door marked ‘Emergency Exit Only’ looking rather irritated.

“You have to change your clothes. Take this.”

Renji was startled to see his own gun from Toushiro in Kira’s hand. Renji took it carefully. Yes loaded. Safety on thankfully. He looked at Kira quizzically as he tucked it back into the waistband of his dirty track pants.

“You misplaced it earlier. I’m returning it. We carry loaded. Don’t complain. You’re not a cop anymore.” Kira had banged through the emergency exit and was walking Renji down the doorless hallway. The door slammed shut behind them.

“Okay.” Renji almost ploughed into Kira when he paused before the door at the end of the hall, his hand on the push bar, “You better not be undercover Renji. I can’t do anything for you. And I wouldn’t even if I could.”

“Okay.” Fuck. Kira was intense.

“You smell like corpse.”

“Thanks for that.” Renji squinted as they came out into the sunshine behind the building.

“You can clean up at Gin’s. We’re going to meet him there. I think you’ll fit in some of my clothes.”

“Kira, you know I’m still 6 inches taller than you?” God. He really didn’t want to be naked and wet at Gin’s.

Renji felt his phone in his pocket. If only he could text Rangiku or Toushiro. He took his fingers off the phone. Not sure what he was going to say about Wallace. He thought probably nothing. That was a conversation better left unsaid.

He wondered if Gin had somehow had Kira run the gun while he was asleep. He was pretty sure Rukia wouldn’t have screwed him and the gun was actually hot. He guessed it would come up in conversation if it read as a cop gun.

At least he wasn’t wearing a wire. Gin would probably come right into the shower with him looking for one. Freak. He’d figure out how to text Rangiku and Toushirou after he figured out how to deal with Gin in his lair.

Kira snapped his fingers at him. “Over here.” He was standing next to an idling car in the laneway. “Get in please Renji.”

Renji folded himself into the back. Kira got in the front waving his phone at the female driver. They didn’t discuss the address. Renji wondered where they were going.

“So Kira. Where’s Gin’s place? Out of downtown?”

Kira looked back at him. “It’s a short ride.” Their driver didn’t say a word.

They drove silently out of downtown. Renji figured he could sneak a text or two from the back seat. He slid his phone out of his pocket, flicking through his contacts.

Kira looked back at him again. “Don’t say anything bad about Gin.”

Renji was texting furtively. “No worries. What’s there to say anyway? Just texting Hisagi. Not really Gin’s favourite guy right?.” Renji looked up after getting that out of the way and saw they were speeding past a big park. Kira was now directing the driver into an office parking lot.

Renji craned his neck to see where the condo building was. They were pulled up in front of a Medical Building from the signs Renji could see. Kira got out of the car and started to walk towards the front entrance.

Renji got out of the car, nodding to the driver and caught up to Kira as the automatic doors opened with a slide and a small pinging.

“We have a stop before we go to Gin’s? Picking something up?”

Kira was pressing the elevator button. “We’re here.”

Renji was checking himself out in the shiny lobby. He looked like shit. Then he looked at the building directory. Nothing was listed. On the sign that said ‘Medical Plaza 3’, There were no business names. No doctor names. No clinics. Just the floor numbers.

“You are shitting me.” Renji said.

Kira just smiled. The elevator doors opened.

Renji looked at the elevator panel. Only one button of the 13 floors on the panel was numbered. Kira pressed the 3 and it lit up. The other 12 buttons were blank. The elevator doors shut.

“Kira. What the hell. He lives in the entire building? This,” Renji waved his hands around, “is his apartment?”

Kira giggled and hid behind his bangs. “No actually this is the residence elevator.”

Renji started to feel better.

“The rest of the building is Gin’s office. That elevator is on the other side.”

Renji felt his heart drop. The elevator doors opened with a chime. And Renji stepped out into a startlingly chic expansive apartment feeling like the bad trip that had started early this morning was still spinning.

He hesitated walking on the carpeting. Kira had glided off to hang up his coat in a closet that had been invisible. Kira flicked his bangs off his eyes and held out a hand to Renji.

“I’ll show you to the guest room and the shower.”

“And your boss?” Renji felt a chill and damn it there it was.

“Welcome to my home Renji!” He jerked his head to follow the voice. There he was. Now Gin was in a purple dress shirt with a wide collar and dark pants. Like a pale glam vampire.

“We’re going to have some coffee, you’re going to show Kira your phone and then wash and change.” Gin moved across a vast living room toward the windows. A sleek looking dining table with a dainty celadon coffee service for at least twelve set up on a tray was where he was heading.

“Renji. Have a seat.” Gin stood behind him and pushed in his chair. The hairs at the nape of Renji’s neck prickled. Gin leaned over him, much too close, hissing “Cellphone s’il vous plait.”

Renji fished his phone out of his pocket. And retrieved the gun again from his waistband. He put them both on the table with a thunk. “Teak? Nice table.”

Gin coiled himself into a chair, smiling even wider than Renji thought was possible, “You like it? It’s more expensive than you can know.” Kira sniggered, he held out a hand, “Renji, can I have your phone?”

Renji pushed the phone towards Kira with two fingers. “Can I have coffee?” He reached his hand out to the cups and coffee pot pouring himself a cup, willing himself not to spill not to spill not to spill.

He sipped the coffee while Kira flicked through his texts. “You didn’t ask my password.”

“We know it already.” Kira was giving his full attention to Renji’s phone. Gin was giving his full attention to squinting at Renji drinking coffee.

Renji hoped his little trick was enough to fool Kira.

Kira tossed his phone back onto the table. “Why are you sending text messages to Hisagi about my ass?”

Renji smiled, remembering to smile with his eyes like Rangiku told him to, “Why not?”

Immediately he felt the blow across the side of his head. Gin clucked disapprovingly, “Renji. No ass looking.”

Renji ducked his head, man, Gin had an anger management problem.

“Fuck Gin. Leave me alone.” Renji rubbed at the side of his head with one hand. “You made me spill my coffee.”

Kira stood up, “Let’s go Renji. You need to change out of those clothes.”

Gin stayed sitting, “The smell reminds me of that one. That pretty one this morning who was too nosy.” He sipped at his coffee. Eyes slit almost completely shut.

Renji couldn’t tell where Gin was looking. He decided following Kira was a good choice. He grabbed his phone off the table and tried to keep up as Kira started off across the room towards the other side of the apartment.


	9. Chapter 9

Renji was hunched over naked in the glossy bathroom trying to text Rangiku. He had the shower running for steam and water noise coverage.  He had no idea how paranoid Gin actually was about this stuff but he figured it was a given.

He had already given the impossible bathroom a quick once over looking for eyes and ears. The tiny camera in the expensive looking light in the wall sized mirror. He left that there.

He had no idea what technology Gin had installed to spy on Kira but he bet it was more complicated than just one easily found camera. Certainly video. Definitely microphones. Cellular wiretap?  Maybe wireless data capture? Heat signature detector in the tiles? Fuck it. Sending it anyway.  

Gin couldn’t possibly be fooled by his shitty acting anyway.

Kneeling on the cold glass floor tiles, he had been holding his phone under the heap of nasty pants and tracksuit jacket on the floor.

Rangiku was taking forever to answer him. Now he was holding a shoe, pretending to unlace it next to the pile but he’d already done the laces of the other one at least twice.

Finally his phone lit up.  He had turned off all the sounds. He picked it up again.

 

Rangiku had texted back: “But I don’t know anyone at this party.”

Said no one in Memphis ever. Renji could hear Rangiku’s drawl perfectly fine through the text messages.

He texted her back as they had agreed. “It’s Memphis. You know plenty of people here.”  Like your fucking creepy ex. 

“Ok. You need me?”

“Yes. Later.”

 

Rangiku was already answering.

“Ok. Is it a man?” Emoji idiocy explosion.

“No.” Renji snorted as he typed.

“Alive?”

“Unsure. Perhaps.”

“Something big?” More smutty emojis.

“No. Small. That guy.” Renji sent her the photo he had taken earlier.

Nothing happened.

 

Renji fussed with the burnt cuff of his jacket in the pile and thought about how he was going to comb out his wet hair. Aside from label-less soap and shampoo, he hadn’t found much in the bathroom.

 

Those sliding polished grainy floor to ceiling wooden doors on the opposite wall had revealed inset shelves with a velvet-lined wooden box holding a straight razor, a shaving brush, some expensive looking hipster shaving cream pucks and bottles of whatever moisturizer Kira seemed to marinate in.

There was a hairbrush and comb set but it looked more antique and fragile and less like it could do anything useful with his crazy hair. Apparently there was a different bathroom to brush your teeth in. 

There had been a four foot pile of towels. Renji had immediately commandeered most of them.

 

Then an emjoi of a sombrero appeared on his phone.

“Ok. Hun. Let me get my face on so I’m ready for you. It’s still so early. Txt me when you r downtown.”

He typed, “Sure dear.” Her last smiley face emoji meant something. Toushiro maybe? Early meant they’d come armed. He tried to remember the entire code and sighed. He had of course forgotten most of it just like that little shit Toushiro had predicted.

 

He looked at his phone again for a heartbeat and then replaced it on the floor, tossing the pants back on top. He had left a heap of the fluffy towels on the floor on the other side, hopefully blocking the view of his texting.

He picked at his shoe again, engrossed in wiping the side of the sole on his nasty tshirt. His loose hair slid down over his shoulder obscuring his face.

He quickly popped a small chip out of his shoe insole with his other hand and held it on the tip of one finger. He fiddled with his phone on the floor to change the chip, trying not to squint at it too hard and keeping the phone down and out of sight. The old chip was back into his shoe. Done. Spies. Spy games. Stupidity.

 

Straightening up, he massaged his aching hip with a hard thumb. Then with a wry look, he slowly turned around moving his hands up to his hair. He held his hair back with both hands behind him, canting out his good hip as a pacifying offering to any voyeurs. Nakedness.  Carpet matches the drapes. Get an eyeful Gin, and then shut the fuck up.

He stepped into the glassy cube of steam and hot water as if the spray could actually wash all this shit off him.

++++++++++++++++++

Renji had finished up in the bathroom and with his braided hair dripping slightly down his back, he was now standing dressed but barefoot in a deep plushy carpet. 

He was awkwardly being a guest in someone else’s home. A feeling he had always hated. Waiting for hosts to reappear. Waiting to move to the next step. Not wanting to be too comfortable in case he had misread the situation.

Especially here. Kira had vanished again in a wave of blushing after pushing an armful of clothing at him at the door of the steamy bathroom. He had been wearing a towel for god’s sake. Who’s the crush here anyway?

 

He had tidied the bathroom, wadded his singed and bloody clothes into a disgusting ball and was now holding them for lack of an obvious better option for disposal.

He stepped out from the hallway into the vast living room. The carpet here was woven not wall to wall. A massive primitive textile map of a rough wool river was under his bare feet. The water was a textured white and blue he could feel.

He thought about texting Kira to follow the sound and finding him in this place but just left his phone in his pocket.

He was standing next to a weird modernistic five legged table in a spotlight under a halogen display lamp. The table held a giant glass vase of no clear function. It did kinda look like his clothing bundle could fit nicely into a hole in the side.

He padded over to the window empty handed and surveyed the carpark below for a few minutes and then turned around straight into Gin.

Renji hadn’t seen Gin reflected in the windowpane. Definitely a vampire then. Gin was completely silent. Did Gin even breathe in and out?

Gin had a question of his own. “Dear?” His tone was icy. He hadn’t budged when Renji had slammed into him. Gin’s arms were like iron.

 

Just how did Gin know that already. Real time monitoring perhaps? Some kind of scanner? Renji would have to try get out of the apartment to make contact again he guessed to avoid issues. He had to hear what they thought of the photo. He still hadn’t told them about Wallace.

Rangiku was going to screw this up for him he could tell. But he had never claimed to not know his friends. Gin couldn’t find fault in that. Rangiku was his friend. Just like Hisagi.

Gin released Renji from his grip.

Still standing too close to him, Gin laughed. “I like your shirt Renji.” Renji crossed his arms over his chest.

He was currently wearing a t-shirt from Kira that had ‘Haikus are easy But sometimes they don’t make sense Refrigerator’ in red letters. It was rather obviously too small. 

He was also wearing a pair of trackies that ended well above his ankle. He shot a glance over at his clothes from the morning but they had disappeared from the vase table. He thought about that for half a second. That heap was also physical evidence in a murder.

 

Gin leaned in, face right next to Renji’s hair, “I can’t stay mad at you when you smell just like Kira.” The ‘my’ was implied in the squinting. 

Renji with some effort resisted rolling his own eyes. Kira did appear to live in the obscenely large apartment but in his own space. There was only one person’s stuff in his walk in closet connecting the bathroom to the bedroom and Kira’s bedroom looked to be his alone.

The giant bathroom in all the rain shower, burnished wood, tile and smoky glass glory was definitely Kira’s. Small miracles he didn’t have to use Gin’s.

 

Gin looked him up and down. “So all fresh now?”

Renji refused to dwell on Gin’s bathrooms and attempted to change the subject. “So you mentioned going for fried chicken downtown?” He had to admit he was actually hungry.

“Chicken, yes. There is only George’s. But I also have some work for you first. More work I should say.” Gin stepped back a step, surveying Renji with that damn smile. “I need something picked up and brought back for safe keeping.”

 

“Alive or dead?” Now he was channelling Rangiku.

“Oh you. It’s just some things. Errands. Boring.” Gin waved to get Renji to follow him to a couch filled area behind them. White leather of course. Shaggy furry rug on the hardwood. White.

Gin sat prissily on the edge of the sofa, plucking at the knees of his pants as he did. Renji didn’t need to avoid wrinkling. He threw himself on the surprisingly comfortable divan nearest him. 

“I have a colleague.” Gin paused. He waved across the space at Kira who had appeared in the kitchen. Kira started to come over with a tray.

 

“Your hair is still wet Renji.” Kira put down the tray on a giant white square ottoman. Renji felt a tug on his braid. “Don’t drip everywhere.”

He rolled over and pulled his braid out of Kira’s hand. “What you got there? Coffee?”

“Mint juleps.”

Renji perked up at the sight of the silver cups. “Not too early for them?”

“Sun’s over the yardarm somewhere.” Gin said.

Renji took his cup happily. “About your errand?” 

“Straight pickup. No drop off. Not even if they ask nicely.” Kira was sitting very close to Gin on the sofa.

 

“Oh. That kind of pickup.” Renji looked at the mint in his cup. “Return here? Or the museum?”

“He’s a faster learner than those odious tattoos would have you think.” Gin had his hand lightly on Kira’s knee.

“He’s right here in front of you.” Renji offered back at him. He averted his eyes from the two of them being like that.

Thinking about pickups and drop offs. And that kind of familiar phrasing.

“You’re going to be meeting and-“ Kira paused just barely, “retrieving.” He paused again, “Gin’s colleague. I believe you have met him before if you recall, his name is Sosuke Aizen.”

 

Renji was still.

“Renji? I know you remember him.”

“Sure, sure, just haven’t thought about him in a while. So what’s he been up to?” Renji remembered Rangiku’s rule and smiled.

Kira knew damn well that he knew that bastard. And they had both worked for him. Albeit briefly. Renji had dropped everything and fled. Apparently not entirely far enough away.

Kira tilted his head at him. “He’s been in Hong Kong still but the government change is making it difficult to stay. I heard he’s come over to see what possibilities are available for him here. So Gin wanted to reconnect.”

“Am I picking him up at the airport?” Renji had finished his drink and swirled the mint around the bottom.. Not enough booze in this apartment for this, he thought.

“You’ll be fetching friend Aizen from New Orleans. He decided to avoid flying for this trip.” Gin was squinting at him again. “Some folks who were assisting his visit have him at the moment.”

Renji’s vision of Aizen in a shipping container almost made him laugh aloud. “Okay, drive down and then…”

“Bring him back to us.”

“Why isn’t Aizen organizing his own travel plans?” Renji was eying the booze tray.

“He’s not really in charge so to speak at the moment.” Gin really did do the air quotes on ‘in charge’. “You won’t be offering anything in return for him though. Just getting him back here.”

“Hmmm. This job needs money or muscle or both?” Renji sat up and felt his braid with his fingers. Maybe almost dry. “Kira was always the money in the past.”

 

Gin answered too quickly. “None of that. You deal with it. All of it. Pick him up. Bring him here. No payment changes hands. Easy right?”

“Who exactly is holding him now?” Renji thought he’d cut through the shit.

Gin slid a hand on Kira’s thigh. Kira answered Renji’s question, “Well, they did bring him over. But I guess he wants a change of pace. Apparently he asked Gin to pick him up.”

“You aren’t answering my question.”

“Well, they call themselves the Eleventh.”

“Like the number?”

“Yes. They work out of the port. Gin’s worked with them in the past.”

“Of course he has.” Renji reached out and snagged another mint julep off the tray. He looked at it contemplatively. “Did you talk to Iba about any of this? Do you still talk to Iba at all? You know if he’s still in New Orleans?”

 

Kira just looked at him. Gin smirked from behind his bangs. Renji scrunched up his toes in the cushy carpet and drank his julep. He put the cup back on the tray with a clink.

“I’m going to talk to Iba. That okay? On my phone.” Renji looked over at them. Nothing. “And I think I’m going to need some things. And my list includes George’s later today before I take off.”

“You do love a list.”

Renji could see Kira smirking over there. He considered cracking his knuckles for the effect and then decided it was too theatrical.

He turned the movement into a wide stretch, popping his back. Oh ya Aizen man. Wild what comes back to bite you in the ass. You know it. 

Then shit, he genuinely smiled for the first time he could remember since all this gloomy foolishness had started.


	10. Chapter 10

The three of them were all in the same room.

Gin had shifted over to the chaise lounge and was staring up at the sparkling chandelier. It had a drape of white fur across the crystals for a weird tent like look. 

Kira was sitting straight up in a complex looking curved metal recliner that had what looked to Renji like car seat belt strapping with a giant industrial grey felt cushion. You knew anything that ugly had to be indescribably expensive.

Renji was on the floor, using a giant pale green glass slab coffee table as a desk, legs on either side of one corner. He had his phone, with the right chip, a tablet borrowed from Gin and a weird rotary dial phone thing Gin had pulled out of a closet. Junk spread out on the tabletop.

Kira was reading him things from google maps. Renji was taking copious notes on paper scrounged from the other side of Gin’s building.

 

Earlier a trembling minion in a nice grey suit had crossed into the inner apartment sanctum from the ‘office’ side earlier bearing pens and office supplies. She didn’t make it off the doorstep into the apartment before Gin had taken the paper shopping bag of supplies and slammed the door in her face. He had whistled when he looked in the bag and handed it over to Renji with a small bow.

Renji had looked at the heavy bag in his hand: Calculator. Fountain pen in box. Pink sticky notes. Note cards. Bottle of ink. Ball point pens. Research flags. Highlighters. Graph paper. Bound leather book. Pen that looked like a green grass blade. Creamy envelopes with blue foil inside. Postage stamps. Sign Here sticky notes. A wax stick, lighter and a signet stamp of a fox. Some things wrapped in tissue paper. Some furry things in Ziploc bags. Something heavy in a wooden box.

Then Renji looked up at Gin from the bag. “What is all this? You doing wedding invites right now?”

Gin had waved his hand vaguely at Renji. “Something to use for your setup. You said you needed stationery supplies.” He sounded a little like a snake, his eyes bright behind his bangs.

Renji had rummaged around in the bag. “Mechanical pencil? Eraser?”

Kira said from the couchy area, “Always. Just get your stuff together and get started. You just need to make your list right? I think you have a couple of hours.”

 

Now, surrounded by his planning crap, the table top dusted with sticky notes, Renji looked over at Gin and said, “I’m going to call Iba.”

Kira handed him a paper with an address and a car license plate written on it. Renji added it to the pile of notes he had already made on the table about gas stations and contacts.

“Don’t tell him you're working for me.” Gin sat back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

“How can I not? I think I’m going to have to.” God. That guy. 

Renji put on his reading glasses. Kira giggled. “I like your cheaters Renji.”

Renji stuck the earbuds in his ears and frowned at him. “I can’t hear you I am busy.”

Attention back on the phone, Renji pecked through old texts to find Iba’s contact info. Nope. Emails? Nope. He googled him.  

Iba Tetsuzaemon, 24/7 Se habla espanol. Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Nursing Home/Elder Abuse, Premises Liability, Wrongful Death.

Renji snorted a bit at that last one and pressed the giant red phone icon.

He left a message with the peppy receptionist. His outbound calls and texts on this phone were also going to Rangiku so he’d be covered there. They hadn’t had enough time to set up the data follow pairing so he’d figure out that bit as he went along. He pulled out one of his ear buds.

 

Next. “Kira, where is your Aizen right now?” Renji had a map of New Orleans up on the borrowed tablet. He made a little sketch of the port lands. So many cruise ships, kind of messy. A big shipping yard. Some empty abandoned space where it looked like some lucky new condo owners would have a great view of barges and some steam plant in the near future. “Am I going to need a boat for this? I hate boats.” 

Kira was looking at his phone, “We heard he was down there maybe on St. Peter Street? That’s where the Eleventh has their office anyway.”

Renji checked a streetview map. “Their office is in a banana warehouse? Not much on this street.”

Kira looked at Gin. Gin was tunelessly whistling, still staring up at the ceiling or maybe his eyes were closed. Renji couldn’t tell. Kira continued, “Celeste and St Peter. Never been there.”

 

Renji was poking around on the streetview. “Seriously? Looks like nothing.”

Gin shrugged and answered without opening his eyes, “And your point?”

Renji shrugged back, “Nothing. There’s at least one car back there in this streetview photo though. Nice couple of SUVs for an abandoned looking commercial building."

“Ever the detective!” Gin teased. “So Aizen isn’t entirely himself at the moment. I’ve heard that he has had a resurgence of his condition shall we say.”

Renji looked at Kira. 

“He’s using those weird drugs again.” Kira looked prissily down at his phone. “We haven’t heard from him since he got there. The drugs make him impossible to deal with.”

Gin added, “Megalomania. Paranoia. Convinced he’s a butterfly. Not pretty. Insufferable actually.” He steepled his fingers as he continued to stare at the ceiling.

“How’d he get there if he didn’t fly from Hong Kong?”

Gin answered, “It was easier for him to take a cruise ship from Chile. He just got off there in New Orleans. He was supposed to do that. So not really a deal breaker at that point. But his companion group lost him to the Eleventh who is now apparently now holding onto him.”

“What’s he doing for them that you don’t want him doing?”

Gin sighed. “Containers. He is of course doing his thing with shipping containers.”

“What’s his thing now? He was counterfeiting things last time I, we,-” he looked over at Kira. “-worked for him.”

Kira said “I worked with him. You worked for him, Renji.”

Ugh. “Semantics man, is he still doing fake money?”

“No.” Gin said from the sofa.

 

Kira continued, “He currently assists the Eleventh in putting things in and out of shipping containers using his system. However that work is outside of the boundaries of the contract he has with the company.”

Kira handed Renji a glossy pamphlet titled “Ichimaru Aggregate & Composites Ltd.” Renji glanced at the paper.

“Gravel? From Japan. Weird. I take it this is you?”

Kira explained, “Amongst many other things. Physical product allows the company to have assets that are useful in many ways for many things. Diverse things.” He proceeded to list them, “Transportation. Logistics. Distribution systems. Marine contacts. Sea to land transport. Barges. Gravel pits. Trucks and equipment. Labour. Men.”

 Gin rolled over on the couch and looked at Renji on the last one. His one visible eye squinting at him.

“I need him back.” He said.

“And no-one wants to deal with that but you yourself? Seems like a personnel problem. Or a cashflow problem really.”

“Yes. I have no wish to pay for him as he’s worthless to everyone but I still need him. Especially since I removed the problem earlier today.”

“Wallace?” Renji inwardly winced. Sorry man. The Prince of Eyelashes really didn’t deserve to die like that. He’d have to get something more on what was going on with Wallace and Gin.

He didn’t have enough information, not that it had ever stopped him before, but Wallace had wanted Renji to do something after he was suspended. He had sent some vague texts the day Renji was getting worked over in the museum. A number of texts within a short time period. Like he was nervous or under pressure. Seemed kind of out of character.

Not that he had a chance to ask Wallace about it before Gin got to him. Renji had come on the scene during Gin working him over. Wallace had looked already dead. Although probably just dying.

Gin ignored Renji’s interjection, continuing, “Our friend Aizen got off the boat and disappeared. Except he didn’t disappear. He continued to work. So what did that mean? Work outside of his contract. That is not to be.”

Kira added, “Very bad form.”

Renji tried to get it straight, “So you mean what exactly? He’s not kidnaped or held against his will?”

Gin smiled, “You are doing the kidnapping Renji.” Kira giggled.

 

Fuck.

 

His phone rang right on cue.  504 area code. “Guys I’m going to take this in the hall.” He got up stiffly.

Renji heard Kira saying in a low voice, “Why is Renji going in the hall?” Gin answering “Who knows, he must know me by now.”

Renji shoved his other earbud in his ear as he moved into the hallway away from them. “Hello? Iba?”

A low familiar voice said, “Renji? You still a cop?”

“Iba. Thanks for calling me back. I’m not sure. Maybe not. Still waiting so I picked up some other work.”

“I don’t do labour relations cases. You don’t wait for instructions so very well it seems.”

“Man. Just listen to me. Iba. I need to talk to you.”

“Three hour minimum. 100 bucks an hour. After that $10 every 6 minutes. Oh and plus my phone charges and all applicable taxes.”

“Iba come on. It’s me here.”

“That is my family rate. Seriously though, how hard is it to not keep a cop job? Memphis not unionized?”

Renji growled. “I see. I was calling to see if you-“

“This other work, you working with Gin? I am not working with Gin.”

“Iba.”

“I heard you not say no.”

“Kira. I’m working with Kira.”

“Marginally better. You wearing a tracksuit? If yes – the answer is a definitive no. How’s Hisagi?”

What was with these freaking tracksuits? “Shitty. He needs help. He’s doing shitty. He’s still here in Memphis.”

“I could assist with that maybe later. But what exactly did you want me to do for you? Spit it out Renji or I’ll think you’re working for Gin instead of the Kuchki.”

“He fired me. The Kuchiki is the one who suspended me. So I’m looking for someone for Kira.”

“Poor you Renji. Your bad Captain gave you the boot. Obviously not manly enough to be a good cop. So who are you looking for while being your bad self?”

God. Iba. “You helping me or not?”

“I’m thinking not but who is it you are looking for anyway?”

“The Eleventh has someone working for them.”

“Really Renji? Ok. Sure I’d like to see this. You dealing with them? They are nut bags. I need a name.”

“Aizen. Last time I saw him he had brown hair and glasses-“

“Fuck you are really in for a penny in for a pound Renji. Momo might be helpful. She’s down here working for the Napoleon Avenue Shipping Terminal actually. Could be helpful. Gotta go okay? Sure thing. I’ll call you back. Same number?”

“Yep-”

Iba disconnected without saying anything more. Renji looked at his phone for a moment. What did Momo have to do with anything?


End file.
